


The Foxhole Force

by Luna_Moon_26_20



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Power Rangers
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, All the warnings from the book apply, Angst, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fanart, Fight Sequences, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Plot Driven, Slow Burn, Tags May Be Updated, but-like-slowly, character driven, lots of swearing, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 87,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27621305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Moon_26_20/pseuds/Luna_Moon_26_20
Summary: Neil Josten did not expect to find trouble within the hour of arriving to Palmetto City, yet trouble seemed to find him in the version of some scary looking Ravens looking to recruit him to join their ranks.Suddenly, Neil finds himself in the middle of a war between the Ravens and... and... who are those people again? And Neil is supposed to be their leader now? That was definitely not on Neil’s agenda.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."Yeah, okay. But, do you seriously not know about them?""I'm new in town" Neil replied like it wasn't the hundredth time he'd said that already."They're like our protectors!""Ummm...""You know... mythical warriors that tap into the energy of the morphing gr—""Nicky, you're confusing him". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Or otherwise known as the Power Ranger AU I just had to write because the idea got stuck in my head and how is the idea of the foxes being Power Rangers not appealing?Come give this story a chance and, who knows? You might be hooked!Complete with Fanart and all!Also, find me on Tumblr: luna-moon-26-20
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 41
Kudos: 72





	1. Call of the Fox (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! To a slightly out of proportion AU that has been begging me to be written and who am I to deny such request? If you clicked the story and are about to start reading: I welcome you and I thank you for giving this story a chance. You won’t regret it!
> 
> A few things before we get started:  
> 1) This is a Power Ranger AU that will be treated as if it was actually a TV show. This is the First Season of the Power Rangers: Foxhole Force and it contains 20 episodes. Each episode will be a chapter of the story and will have its own mini plot within the larger plot of the season. All 20 episodes are already outlined and thought, though not all are written (because if you know me from my other story, I should be writing my thesis dissertation).  
> 2) Everyone’s background and pasts will be the same as in the original books, with some minor changes required for plot reasons.  
> 3) There will be small variations of a few details from the original books (for example the fact that I added a beach to Palmetto City and that Neil’s number for Riko’s perfect court will be 5 instead of 4. Like I said: plot reasons).  
> 4) There WILL be an update schedule, but starting in January (which is after I submit my thesis). For now, I’ll be writing and posting as much as time will let me. Consider this the very pilot episode of the story, since I’d like to know your opinion as well.  
> 5) This work contains Fanart. I am not, by any means, an artist. I just like to draw and sometimes drawings come out presentable. They are very simple and are just a way to represent some of the scenes that float around in my mind. Not every chapter will have a drawing attached but I’ll try my best.
> 
> All that being said, if I think of anything else, I will put it in a note below. For now: thank you again for giving this story a chance and I really hope you like it. I’m super excited about writing this and some feedback would be really appreciated.  
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
> Extra content on Tumblr!

**S1 E1: Call of the Fox (Part 1)**

* * *

Neil Josten did not expect to find trouble within the hour of arriving to Palmetto City. But he guessed _Nathaniel_ should have known.

The City of Palmetto.

Population: 128.265 people.

A place known for its beaches, its temperamental weather and its secrets.

It was also known as the last hope for Neil to find his mother.

As the sound of the bus' engine faded into the background, Neil stared into the distance. After miles and miles of traveling, he'd finally made it.

His latest lead on the search for his mother had taken him to a small town called Millport, where he'd stayed no longer than three weeks after realizing it was impossible for his mother to be there.

He could still remember the last words his mother had said to him before separating that fateful night in Seattle.

_I'll distract them for a while. Keep running and don't look back. I'll meet you at location four._

Location four had been one of the rendevouz points they had in case they ever got separated but no matter how many days he waited, his mother never showed.

Did that mean she was dead?

_Don't stay longer than a week. Leave if you have to._

But Neil had stayed. He'd foolishly stayed for a whole month in the hopes his mother would appear. She never did. Neil was left with a new set of injuries to take care of alone and a duffle bag filled with a few changes of clothes, fake documents, money and a binder. A binder that contained all the information he could ever need to dissappear. That had been over a year ago.

Usually Neil was good at doing what he was told, specially by his mother. Otherwise he risked her heavy but caring hand or, before that, when they still lived at home, he risked his father's temper and his knives.

Neil shuddered. The image of a cleaver coming down on him blurring his vision of the city for a moment.

Yes, usually Neil did as he was told. But he'd been 17 years old when he'd gotten separated from his mother for the first time since they'd gone on the run and he had been scared, not knowing how to get by on his own and not willing to accept the most likely outcome of his mother being dead.

And that's how the search for her had started.

Neil had studied his binder from top to bottom and bottom to top. He had reached out to every contact and gone to every city in the US marked as a hiding spot. He'd done everything his mother had taught him: change his name and appearance every few cities, thread carefully and not bring attention to himself. But even if he'd suceeded in remaining hidden, he hadn't been able to find her.

The name of Palmetto City had been written in page 13 of the binder but Neil had inmediately discarded it seeing as the name had been crossed off several times with a black inked pen. That sure meant the City held no value to them, right? That's what Neil had thought at first and why he'd gone to every other place but that one.

Except every other place had turned up empty and now the crossed off city had become his last hope of finding his mother alive.

So with his heart filled with one of the most dangerous emotions of them all, hope, Neil Josten walked down the street from the bus station and into the heart of the city.

* * *

Palmetto wasn't supposed to be a terribly large city, but compared to some of the places he'd been in the past year, it was certainly a sight to be hold.

There was a gated park to his right and apartment buildings to his left. Some shops and cafes at the foot of them and a large road in between where cars began to pile into the first hour of traffic.

He'd been traveling all night and the sun had risen over the horizon barely an hour ago.

Neil walked into the park searching for some privacy and a place to sit. The gates surrounding the park were tall and bushes covered at least half their hight. No one from outside the park would be able to see in and the few people roaming around were far away enough for him to not feel threatened by them. A woman and a child. A father with two daughters. An elderly couple. He could sit on a bench and take the time to gather himself.

While he ate the last remnants of the bag of peanuts he'd had for dinner the night before, Neil contemplated his next move.

He hadn't wanted to raid their different money stashes around the country in case his search turned out futile in the end and he needed that money to dissapear for good, so he'd survived on the cash his mother had left him with and whatever scrapes he could find along the way. His plan was to stay in Palmetto for at least a couple of months, flying under the radar but leaving no stone unturned when it came to looking for his mother. He believed his trail was cold enough that he could afford the extra time. After all, Neil Josten was as new an identity as it could get.

He allowed himself the luxury of a tired sigh when he rested back heavily into the park bench, craddling the duffle bag into his lap. A job. He needed to find a low key job in a place that asked no questions and demanded no paperwork or he risked running out of money for good. He also needed to arrange a place to stay. Should he look for an abandoned building until he had enough money for a motel? The weather wasn't terrible for sleeping outside, but he rathered not have to sleep in the open if he could help it. So, first, cover his basic needs. Then, search for his mother.

A board filled with papers several feet to his right caught his attention and he dragged himself over to it to look at the ads. Some missing dogs posters and people offering to babysit children or older people, but there weren't many flyers that could help him. He would have to read a newspaper or find access to a computer if he wanted to find something soon. But then he glanced down at the ground and saw a wrinkled piece of colorful paper somewhat withered down by the dirt. He picked it up, straightened it out and had enough time to read the _Help Wanted_ sing written in an obnoxious orange color when a high pitched scream had him turning around in fear, his heart beating wildly out of his chest.

The scream had come from one of the little girls who were now cowering behind their father while the man tried to shield them from... from... what the hell was that thing?

Neil looked in horror as the human shaped figure extended a hand and clasped the man's shoulder, making him shout out in pain. The girls fell to the floor when the man did so too.

The creature was unlike anything Neil had seen before. It looked like a man but where Neil thought he'd seen dark clothes and maybe a balaclava it was in fact dark feathers growing out of the man's skin. Could it even be called a man? Neil didn't want to stay there long enough to find the answer.

He should do as everyone else on the park had done and hightail it out of there but something about the scene in front of him had him rooted to the place. The girls were crying, their father was injured, crawling away from the dark creature and still trying to act as a human shield for his daughters.

Neil didn't know what got into him. Maybe it was the sound of the girls screaming in fear or maybe it was the way their father was protecting them, something a real father should do instead of what his own father had done to him. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep getting to him and making him act irrationally because next thing he knew, Neil was picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it with all his strength to the creature. He wasn't sure if he should thank or curse his aim because the rock hit the thing right in its face and Neil shuddered when the thing looked at him because it did indeed have a face and it was the most bizarre thing Neil had ever seen.

Beneath the black feathers and the dark skin, Neil could recognize the shape of a human face: two eyes, a nose and a mouth. The eyes, though fiercely savage and dark, looked every bit a human eye as they were and a shiver ran down Neil's spine when he came to the conclusion the thing staring down at him was half human half...something. Something animal and fierce.

It was definitely time to go. But just when he was about to move, a rushing sound came from behind him along with a gust of wind ruffling his hair in an otherwise windless day.

The hairs at the back of his head stood on end and when he turned around only his many years of training on the run helped him stiffle the yelp of surprise at finding another dark figure towering over him where there had been no one barely a second ago. Except this one looked impossibly more savage and it was sporting a pair of freaking black feather wings in its back.

Was this one of the many secrets surrounding the City of Palmetto? The existence of half human creatures roaming around the city?

Neil didn't have time to keep pondering on that. He didn't even have time to flinch away when he felt the creature's hand latching into his left upper arm with supernatural speed, much like the first creature had done with the man's shoulder, and pain exploded on his skin.

He cried out when the feeling of knives digging into his skin had him almost flashing back to his childhood and he fell hard on the ground when the creature released him with a shove. It wasn't until the thing brought his hand up to his face and licked the blood from his fingers that Neil realized that what he'd felt like knives on his skin were actually talons, sharp and long, protruding from the creature's fingers.

The grin that split open the creature's face had Neil shivering all over again.

"You taste like a fighter" the thing said and Neil was taken aback because where he'd expected something like a screech coming out of the thing's mouth, a human voice reached his ears instead.

"What the hell are you?" Neil asked while scrambling to his feet and clutching his duffle bag close to his chest. Whatever happened, he could not lose that.

The feathered creature kept licking Neil's blood off his fingers until every last drop was gone and Neil was tempted to put a hand over his wound just to make sure the creature wouldn't want to lick the blood still dripping from his skin. He took a step back when the creature took a step forward. "You'd fit well in my collection. I'm always looking for fighters"

Neil didn't even want to think about what kind of collection this thing kept and he had to catch himself before he blurted out that he was no fighter. He was a runner. He'd been running from trouble for almost half his life now and he wouldn't be of any use to the thing. But he was finding it hard to keep a straight thought since fear was holding him pretty much rooted to the spot. He also didn't think talking back to the creature would be very welcomed and his life was in enough danger right now as it was.

Movement behind him had his body jumping in surprise but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the first creature from holding Neil by the arms close to his chest. The grip was strong but at least this one kept its talons to itself and also, Neil was glad to notice, the father and his daughters were able to get away.

"What do you want?" he was able to ask, struggling to free himself from the creature's hold.

The one in front of him crowded his space and clasped Neil's face in a strong grip. Neil froze as he felt the thing's finger digging a small wound on his left cheek. "I need a number 5"

Neil shuddered and was about to bravely but stupidly tell the thing to fuck off when someone else beat him to it.

"Go back to your nest, _raven scum_. There's nothing for you here"

The voice was female and barely two seconds later, a blur of pink was smashing into the creature in front of him, sending him staggering several feet away. The pink blur turned out to be a woman, dressed in... in... why were the people in Palmetto so freaking weird?

She was wearing what looked like a bright pink spandex suit, complete with a shiny helmet that covered her whole head. She was standing protectively in front of Neil, ready to face the creature —a raven?— again.

Neil wanted to tell her to watch out, because she seemed to have forgotten the raven at Neil's back, which had already hauled him aside to go after her. Neil sailed through the air with a surprised yell and landed heavily near a tree trunk, thankfully avoiding a full on collision. He looked up expecting to see the pink woman's back pierced by the raven's talons, but instead a yellow figure stood behind her, facing the first raven.

"Are you okay?" a voice to his left asked him and Neil was surprised to see yet another suited person kneeling next to him. This one was all green and male, and he extended a hand to help Neil get back on his feet. The pain of the talon marks on his arm flared up a bit but Neil was able to hide the wince and retrieve his arm once he was standing.

Another voice joined them. "You should get out of here"

Neil glanced to the side where a tall blue suited man seemed to be staring intently at him, not that he could really tell because the shiny helmet covered the man's face and the material of the visor was way too dark for Neil to see the man's eyes. He wondered briefly if the guy could even see anything himself, wondering also how they all managed to move so silently and smoothly that Neil didn't pick up their presence until they were right there beside him. His survival skils were honed enough to be aware of his surroundings at all times, but both the ravens and the... rainbow paraders had gone undetected until the last second.

Neil didn't appreciate that.

Green and Blue didn't stop looking at him until he nodded that yes, he was fine, and yes, he needed to leave. And they needed to get back to their friends because now that he focused back on them, he could see Pink and Yellow engaged in a fierce fight against the ravens.

Neil wiped an itch from his cheek and was half surprised to see a trail of blood had gone from the small wound beneath his eye all the way down to his chin. The blue man cocked his head to the side as he watched.

"Be careful out there" was all he said before jumping back and heading towards his friends.

The green one stood back a few moments more. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

Neil shook his head, finding his voice after quite some time. "I'm fine"

"Alright then. Go on. We've got this"

Neil watched him leave and join the yellow man in fighting the first raven. Pink and Blue were taking on the second one, the one that had tasted Neil's blood.

Neil wanted to run. He wanted to find the next bus out of this freak city and forget this ever happened, but two things stopped him enough to keep him rooted to the spot watching the fight developing in front of him. The first one, it was the very same reason he'd made it into Palmetto in the first place. His mother. He couldn't leave before searching for her thoroughly. And second, there was something nagging at him from the corners of his mind about the odd scene he was watching. The color suited people. The dark feathered creatures. Neil had never seen anything like it before, and yet they were tugging at a memory he couldn't quite recover from his mind. He didn't know what to make of that.

So against all judgement and instinc, against what his mother had ever taught him and against what the blue man had told him, he decided to stay. Not only in the city, but at the park as well.

Oddly enough, it was easier to move when the decision to stay was made. He clutched his duffle bag closer still to his body and moved to hide behind the few trees he'd landed near to and resolved to watch from afar the battle going on in the middle of the park.

One would think the dark creatures were outnumbered and done for, but the colorful... warriors? Fighters? What the hell was he supposed to call them? The colorful warriors were having trouble keeping the ravens at bay and they were fighting two on one.

The ravens slashed viciously at the warriors and Neil winced when the impossibly larger talons caught the yellow man and sent him flying in a flash of sparks. He landed several feet away. Neil expected to see blood coloring the yellow suit, but when the man got up, his suit wasn't even teared.

The green man made some progress by landing a few good hits on the raven's face, but he too was slashed away a minute later.

Blue and Pink weren't faring any better and soon the four of them were flying through the air to land in a hip on top of each other, the ravens looming threateningly over them. Smoke was coming out of the pile of colors on the ground and the warriors seemed to be having trouble getting back on their feet.

Neil gasped when one of the raven's eyes flashed red and his sharp talons began to glow. He didn't know what would happen if those talons touched the warriors, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.

In a split second decision, Neil resolved to do what he'd always been good at. Running.

He stood up, clasping securely the straps of his bag and walked out of his hiding spot. He was poised to run towards the exit of the gated park and was about to take the first step when he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, scumbags! You want me? Come get me!"

And he bolted.

He didn't even waste a single thought into looking behind him and see if the ravens had fallen for it and gone after him. He just ran like death itself was behind him. Like his father was behind him.

He rounded corners and skirted around people. He almost fell once but managed to keep his balance and keep running. The downward slope of the street made him gain momentum and speed and he could only hope that gave him the advantage he needed to get away.

He couldn't hear anyone or anything coming after him, but he wouldn't be surprised if the surprisingly stealthy creatures managed to tackle him from behind without him hearing a thing. The thought only made him run faster.

Neil was a great runner and he tried to keep up his resistance with dayly jogs and morning runs, but there was only so much time he could keep up this burst of speed and after a few blocks, his body began to slow down. He was also out of breath.

He couldn't know if his diversion had worked, if the rainbow warriors had managed to use his distraction to get the upper hand but he guessed that as long as he didn't end up slashed to pieces, then he really didn't care.

Rainbow warriors... yep, he liked that name better.

When oxygen was hardly getting into his lungs and his legs were threatening to give out on him, that's when he decided to stop and look back. There was no one behind him.

He took the time to get his breath back and then catalogued himself and his surroundings. His upper arm was giving out a dull throb but he didn't think the wounds were very deep and they'd stopped bleeding somewhere between the park and here, wherever here was. His duffle was still intact and his cheek didn't sting anymore. When he went to check if there was any drying blood on his face, that's when he noticed the paper in his hand.

Somehow, through the whole scary and somewhat supernatural experience, he had held into the _Help Wanted_ poster from the ground. It was wrinkled almost beyond repair in his tightly clenched fist and he had to almost pry his fingers away with his other hand or he risked giving himself a cramp. At least the letters were still readable.

**_Help Wanted_ **

**_at_ **

**_The Foxhole Court_ **

They needed personnel.

Neil's eyes roamed over the pictures on the flyer. A basketball team, a volleyball net... en Exy court.

He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. He should stop disobeying his mother's lessons and find a job that had absolutely nothing to do with sports. But he was hungry and running really low on available money. He was tired and adrenalin was already leaving his body. He needed a job and he needed it yesterday.

He read the address at the bottom of the flyer and asked a passerby for directions. He figured he could at least take a look and decide later if the job was worth the risk, that is if they even gave him the job. He knew the odds were stacked against him and his lack of legal documents.

But he squared his shoulders anyway and trying to drown his mother's voice in his head because, after all, he was doing all of this for her, Neil Josten started his way to the Foxehole Court armed with a little bit of desperation and a little bit of hope.

* * *

Neil checked his reflexion in the window of a car parked right outside the Foxhole Court just so he could make sure his contacts were held in place after the struggles at the park and that the roots of his hair weren’t too noticeable. He’d have to think about redying his hair soon enough though. He’d used the bathroom on a gas station to clean and bandage his arm and cheek, grateful that neither wound required stitches, and to change his bloody and dirty t-shirt for another one. Not that he looked any better in the different shirt since it was as old and ragged as the last one. He’d always gone for a homeless kind of look, which is why he wasn’t really bothered by the state of his clothes.

When he was sure he didn’t look too worse for wear, he made his way inside.

The Foxhole Court was bigger than he expected. It was a three story building the size of a baseball stadium and there was a flurry of activity inside. He had to skirt over a group of children in soccer uniforms to get to the reception counter where a girl with long and styled blond hair was busy talking animatedly with a guy distractedly chewing gum. They both looked around the same age as Neil, maybe a bit older, and when he got closer and called their attention, a welcoming smile graced the girl’s lips.

“Hi, welcome to Foxhole Court. How may I— Oh! You’re—” she caught herself when the guy next to her cleared his throat in warning and Neil didn’t know what to make of that exchange. “Here! You’re here… and what can I help you with?”

“Umm yeah. I was wondering if you’re still hiring?”

She glanced down at his hand and, if possible, her face lit up even more. “You saw the flyer?” Neil nodded and showed her the paper. “Great! You’re hired”

“ _Allison_ ” the guy to her left hissed but she paid him no mind.

Neil had to admit he was a little thrown as well. “Just like that?”

“Just like that. We need the help asap” she said to him before turning to her coworker and sending a pointed look his way. “I’m sure Coach will agree”

The guy said nothing but Neil had to ask. “Coach?”

“Yeah, you’ll see”

“Don’t you need to do like an interview or something?”

“We should” said the guy sending a glare Allison’s way.

“It’s a cleaning job. It’s not like you need much experience. Let’s go!”

She hopped her way from behind the reception counter leaving the other guy in charge while she guided him further into the place.

“I’m Allison, by the way. And you are?”

“Umm, Neil”

“Awesome. So, Neil, this is the Foxhole Court. Do you know anything about us?” she said while he guided him through a double metal door and Neil gasped inwardly when he saw what could only be the heart of the youth center. At least three different courts were placed right next to each other divided up by plexiglass walls although just the one to the far right was surrounded completely by the material. It was the Exy court.

Neil consciously tore his eyes away from the kids running around in protective gear trying to score on the goalie. There was a tall guy trying to organize them into some semblance of a scrimmage but he wasn't being very successful. The court in the middle held both a volleyball net and basketball hoops on either side of it. The last court was reserved for indoor soccer. Neil was surprised by the amount of activity on every court, considering it was mid morning on a school day. Didn't these kids have to—?

"Neil?"

He shrugged and continued following her. “Not really. I’m new in town”

"Oh, don't worry about it. You'll pick up on stuff quickly enough and Coach will explain what it is we try to do here"

They walked past the courts and into a long hallway that lead to a row of storage and locker rooms. They were headed for a door at the end of the hall.

“You seem pretty sure I’m going to get hired”

Allison made a dismissive motion with her hand. “I told you, we need the help and no one else has made it past the front desk. It isn’t exactly a lucrative job since we’re all about helping the community and all that, but like I said, it’s a great place”

“Is it enough to get by?”

“Sure! You won’t be buying any fancy stuff but it’s enough. Plus, lot’s of extra hours as a janitor. You have any idea how many times kids throw up? And the cafeteria after lunch? Ugh!”

Neil could understand why no one’s bothered to keep the job if she was selling it like that, but Neil wasn’t like anybody else and he needed the money as asap as they needed their help. If she was so sure he was going to get hired right then, then he didn’t mind scraping toilets and mopping floors. It wouldn't be the most disgusting thing he'd done.

When they reached the final door, Allison knocked but didn't wait for an answer before storming her way inside, Neil following her footsteps.

"Coach!"

Neil faltered a little bit in his step when he came face to face with a middle age man that could have just as easily been his father and he inmediately tensed up at the scowl the man sent Allison and then him.

"What have I told you nuisances about barging in like that?"

Allison didn't seem deterred though. "Shh, Coach, we have a guest" she signaled to Neil and beckoned him closer since he'd stayed by the threshold of the door. "He's looking for a job. He saw the flyer! I told you they would work"

"A job, huh? What's your name kid?"

Neil took a step forward into the room, glad the man hadn't stood up from his chair. He cleared his throat in case his discomfort showed. "Neil Josten"

"Josten..." Coach said, as if savoring the word. "You even old enough to work?"

"I'm eighteen"

"Got any paperwork to back that up?"

"An... I.D?"

The man, Coach, took his time assessing Neil. Neil couldn't see any downright hostility in his eyes, but he did look curious and maybe a little suspicious? Neil could only hope his own discomfort around the man didn't show much on his face and that Coach wouldn't ask for anything more than his fake I.D. He really needed the job.

"Why do you want this job?" at least he could be truthful about that.

"I'm new in town and I need the income. I could start working as soon as today"

"Have any working experience? References of any kind? When's the last time you ate something?"

"I-I... What... I don't—" he was caught off guard with the last question and he didn't really have an answer for the first two. He knew it'd be hard getting a decent job without the right paperwork but he couldn't help but feel disappointed that this one wouldn't work out. That Exy court...

Coach's next words made his eyes widen in surprise.

"Okay, listen. Job's ten 'till six, six days a week. Sundays are off. We need a janitor but also someone to help around wherever help is needed. You into sports? Great, sometimes you'll have to assist one of our coaches. We have way too many kids and not enough budget. You think you can handle that? I can give you two weeks probation and then we'll see if you still want the job. Anything you want to ask?"

Neil was about to ask if the man was sure he wanted to hire him, not really believing his luck for once, but decided not to push it and just accept the offer. He did have a question though. "Probation time is paid?"

Coach's serious face broke out into a grin. "I like how you think kid. Of course, and you'll also have unlimited access to the cafeteria food which is open at all hours. So make use of it. A little meat wouldn't hurt your bones"

"I... okay"

"Now, Allison, get out of my sight. Show him around and introduce him to everybody. Show him the staff lockers and get him a uniform. He's under your care during his probation. And for God's sake do not barge into my office like that again!"

"Sure thing boss!"

Allison grabbed him by the arm on her way out and dragged him back into the hallway. Neil's mind was so stunned he didn't even have time to flinch at her unexpected touch. The deal was so much better than he'd anticipated. A decent paycheck and free food? Sure, they hadn't told him yet exactly how much he would earn but it was definitey more than nothing and, yeah, there were a lot of hours on the schedule, but he'd still have time to search for his mother and the job would only last for a couple of months anyway. If anything, he could save up enough money for the next step in the map in case he didn't find his mother. But he didn't want to think about that yet, he still had—

"...earth to Neil?" Allison's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"What?"

"I said I told you so"

"Right, you did. Thanks"

Thankfully she let him go and guided him back to the courts.

"Now, don't think the job's all it's cracked up to be. There's one little tiny downside to working as a janitor and it's that you'll have to be paired with the monster"

"Monster?" Neil couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice. Images of the dark feathered creatures from that morning assaulted his mind and his arm began throbbing in remembered pain. Maybe in a city like Palmetto, the word monster meant more than what Neil's monsters usually meant.

"Yeah, you'll see" he also refrained himself from rolling his eyes at her theatrics. She sure was one for cliffhangers.

* * *

"And this is the cafeteria" Allison continued with the tour of the Court. "We have specific hours for breakfast and lunch, but the place's always open for snaks and beverage. If someone comes looking for a meal, there'll always be a plate ready to be served"

Neil had to admit he was impressed with the organization of the place. The Foxhole Court specialized in many sports but it also offered lots of resources for its members. Neil could almost understand the passion with which Allison described everything around them.

"So... the Coach. Is he like, an actual coach?"

"What? Oh, no. He just likes to call himself that, therefore we all call him that" she didn't seem deterred with the change of topic, instead continuing to guide him around and pointing out different places. Neil was pleaseantly surprised to see there was a gym and that he would access to it on his less busy hours.

"How is he in charge of this thing then?"

"He's a social worker" she said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world but one look at Neil's blank face had her slapping her own forehead in an embarrassed gesture. "Shoot! I forgot. You don't really know what we do here. Okay, so, we're not just a sports center. We're primarily a community center, the sports come second. Consider the Foxhole Court a way to keep kids off the street when their situations at home aren't the best. We provide food and some kind of safe haven along with the possibility of developing sports skills. Once in a while a really promising athlete gets scouted for a scholarship but mostly the kids play the sports for fun and the chance to belong somewhere. A team"

"And you do all of that for free?"

"Well, it's not like we're gonna charge the kids to let them stay away from home"

"Are their homes really that bad?"

"Some of them are, yeah. That's why we also have counseling and an infirmary available for them. The staff too, if that's something you ever need"

Neil looked away from her and considered her words. The Foxhole Court now sounded like a rehabilitation center more than anything, but he thought it was admirable the way they were willing to offer such shelter to troubled youth. He knew it would've been impossible for him to belong some place like this while he was on the run with his mother, but Neil thought he would've given anything to have a place like this back when he was younger, when he still lived in Baltimore.

When they circled back to the courts once more, Neil noticed the joy with which the few kids on the basketball court chased around eachother with the ball. At first glance, he wouldn't have guessed they came from unstable home situations. They looked so carefree.

A pang of nostalgia hit him when he remembered how happy he'd once been too with an Exy raquet in his hands. During practice he didn't have time to think about his father. The court was his world for the two hour practice every other day. He could definitely understand how a place like this was overcrowded with children, even on school time.

"How do you stay afloat?"

"We receive donations, either from people genuinely willing to help or from companies looking to stave some taxes. But money's money, right? As long as the kids benefit from it... The Vixen Foundation for example helps us with the sports equipment and uniforms. Some others provide the food. Abby, she's our head nurse, works at a private clinic that helps us with medical supplies. All in all, we get by alright" she glanced at her watch and prompted him to walk faster. "We should be preparing for the lunch hour rush. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone at lunch but first, uniforms!"

Neil didn't even want to imagine the amount of people he'd had to face during rush hour. Hadn't his mother taught him to stay away from crowded places? What if anyone recognizes him? But between his change of appearance and the fact that the majority of the crowd would be _kids_ , he guessed he was safe enough. For now.

They ended up back in the locker rooms hallway and entering a door marked _Staff only._ It was a small changing room with a couple of bathroom stalls to the left and a shower one to the right. A never ending bench ran along every available wall and the lockers were a pile of grey metal rectangles in the middle of the place. Allison beckoned him forward.

"You can leave your stuff in one of the lockers every day. Not many of us use them anymore but you'll be finding yourself here quite a lot. Over there..." she said, signaling a door Neil hadn't noticed before right behind the lockers, "... is the storage room closet. You'll find everything you need for cleaning there. Now, about your uniform... I'm guessing you're a medium size? Yes? Wait here, I'll bring a set of everything"

"Sure" he said but Allison was long gone by then.

Neil had to admit he was relieved to get a reprieve from Allison's sparkly personality. Neil couldn't feel any alarms popping in his mind around her but she was a chatty one. He took the time alone to inspect the lock on the lockers and determined they were good enough to guard his duffle bag if he was forced to leave it behind. It caused him no small amount of anxiety separating from his bag, but he didn't really have a choice. In fact, everything about this day had been causing him terrible amounts of anxiety. The things at the park and then finding a better job than he could have ever imagined and all within a few hours of arriving to the city. Things were definitely moving fast.

Allison was taking her sweet time, so Neil made use of one of the toilets to relieve himself and take a breath inside a locked stall.

 _You can do this, Abram. You have to do this_. _For mom._

He avoided the impending anxiety attack by repeating the words in his mind long enough for Allison to come back. When he heard the door open, Neil flushed the toilet and stepped outside.

But the moment he set foot outside the stall, a pair of hands latched into the front of his t-shirt and slammed him hard into the lockers making them shake with the unexpected assault. Neil's first thought was that his father's people had found him but when he looked into the hard hazel eyes staring back at him, he didn't recognize the person.

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing in here"

Hammering heart aside, Neil studied the man holding him in a bruising grip against the lockers. He was startingly blond, pale skinned and with a hard penetrating gaze. It wasn't hard to guess that the man, actually, the young adult seeing as he couldn't have been much older than Neil, was strong for his stature because he was holding Neil to the point he had to stand on his tiptoes, enhacing the hight difference between them by a few more inches because incredibly, impossibly, he was even shorter than Neil.

Neil cleared his throat to avoid any nervousness to leach out of him. "I work here"

"Liar" his voice was harsh though not necessarily loud.

"I do! I mean, I'm new. I start today. I'm waiting for Allison"

"Wait by the front desk"

"She brought me here, I'm supposed to be the new ja—"

"Damn it, Minyard!" Allison screeched from the door as she made her way to them. "Let go of him"

"Nobody likes a trespasser" the guy said without taking his eyes off Neil and if Neil had to put a name to the otherwise toneless voice, he'd say it sounded like a snarl.

"He's not—"

"I am _not_ a trespasser" Neil cut in, interrupting Allison and pushing against the hands holding him up. "Now get off me"

Oddly enough, he was instantly released.

The two of them were locked in a staring contest for a full minute with Allison clicking her foot on the tiled floor for effect. It was the blond guy who broke eye contact first but only to move his gaze towards Neil's cheek were the wound from that morning stood fresh and uncovered. It was so small Neil hadn't seen the need to put any tape or gauze over it. For the first time since the whole encounter started, something that seemed mildly like curiosity flickered in the angry man's gaze. His tone remained impassive though when he turned to Allison before walking out the room.

"So predictable" he muttered and Allison sighed dropping the small mountain of clothes she'd been carrying over the bench.

"Sorry about that. I was hoping you wouldn't have to meet him right away"

"Who is he?"

"The monster" Neil arched an eyebrow demanding more information. "Andrew Minyard, royal asshole and janitor extraordinaire. He's gonna be your partner on the job"

"Great" he said without much enthusiasm. He wasn't looking forward to spending so much time around such a violent person. He'd have to set his own limits from the start or he risked being pushed around since day one. "Is that the uniform?"

"Yes! Look, you'll love it" she got her spark back when she showed him no less than six or seven different pieces of clothing. There were the staff t-shirts, both short and long sleeved, a pair of shorts, sweats and even a couple of hoodies, one white and one orange. In fact, all the garments were a combination of white, black and orange, and the Foxhole Court logo was printed into everyone of then. A single fox paw encircled with words spelling the name of the place. The orange was a bit obnoxious but the white balanced it out.

Neil picked the long sleeved shirt and the pair of sweats. "These will do"

Allison looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, or as if she was endeared that he wouldn't dare pick more than two items. "Neil, these are yours now. Even if you don't end up working for us after your probation, you can take them all"

"That's not necessary, really, I—"

"You have to dress in uniform every day, you'll need the spares. Now quit complaining and change into these. Lunch hour is here"

Neil felt a little stunned after that. His duffle bag was small, he didn't even have six different outfits as it was and now he was supposed to have twelve? He stared at Allison who was wearing the short sleeved version of the t-shirt he was holding in his hands now and he remembered her words from earlier, about the kids coming to the court looking for a place to belong to, a team. Wearing matching uniforms certainly went a long way into developing that feeling and suddenly, the clothes she was gifting him with seemed more precious than before.

Neil mentally slapped himself and went into one of the stalls to get changed. He hadn't even been at the Foxhole Court for two hours and he already felt off kilter and emotionally unbalanced. His mother would beat him if she was here to witness it. But seeing as she _wasn't_ and that was the whole point of Neil being here in the first place, he wouldn't dwell too much on it and just go with it. He'd made the choice to stay in Palmetto and this unexpectedly blessed place was giving him the opportunity to do that. He would still be cautious, but he would move forward.

Once dressed in his new clothes, Neil locked away his bag in one of the lockers, taking the key with him and accompanying Allison to the cafeteria.

* * *

"My girls!" Allison yelled from half way across the busy cafeteria and the pair of girls sitting at the staff dining table greeted them with open smiles once they arrived. "Look who's here, our new janitor!"

Wasn't it tiring being so excited all the time? Neil placed his tray on the table and sat down a careful distance away from all three girls that were looking at him as if Christmas had come early and Neil was their present. What was so exciting about getting a new janitor, Neil had no idea.

"Hi! It's Neil, right? I'm Dan"

"My name is Renee. Nice to meet you Neil" he nodded at them somewhat shyly and began to eat his food. He had to admit, after surviving out of peanuts and energy bars for a few days now, the meetballs and rice of the cafeteria tasted as heavenly as any five star restaurant meal, not that he'd had any, but still.

He had to consciously slow down his eating or he risked looking desperate and famished. The girls around him though didn't seem to mind, or maybe they were just used to starving kids finding their way to the center. To keep their attention out of his eating manners, he forced himself to participate on their idle chatter.

"Are we supposed to be keeping an eye on the kids now?" he asked, watching the sort of organized chaos around the place.

Dan, the girl with the shorter hair, was the one who answered. "Nah, it's lunch time. Everyone's too hungry to start any hussle. Once in a while some of the older kids gets difficult but nothing we can't handle from here"

Neil nodded and took another mouthful of rice. Renee spoke next. "So tell us about yourself, Neil"

He shrugged. "Not much to tell really. I'm just new in town"

"Have you met anyone else apart from us?"

"Urgh, he met Minyard" Allison blurted with disdain before he could say anything and Dan's face fell at that.

"Oh, I was hoping your first impression of the rest of us wouldn't be tainted by the monster. We're not all like that you know?"

"Dan, he's not a monster" this coming from Renee, so at least he could assume she didn't hate the monster, Andrew.

"Right, he's just the biggest of all assholes. Even beats Seth"

"Hey! Do not trashtalk Seth. Only I can trashtalk Seth" chastised Allison before turning to Neil. "Exes are trashtalkable you know? And yes, Seth's an asshole but he's not a bad person. He's not evil"

"Andrew isn't evil. I wish you would stop looking at him like that" said Renee with a sigh.

"I will once he stops acting like one! He assaulted Neil the second he met him!" the other two girls stared at him in horror.

"Is that true?"

Neil shrugged. "I'm fine" who was he to further damage their view of their coworker? Sure, Andrew hadn't been friendly or welcoming, but Neil hadn't been seriously hurt. Nothing he couldn't handle anyway. If they wanted to blow the whole thing out of proportion, it wasn't Neil's problem.

"Anyway, just know that the rest of us aren't like that. You'll also meet the rest of his gang during the second lunch shift" Dan nodded at Allison's words and then turned to Neil once again.

"Yeah, we take turns eating. Someone has to man the front desk and whoever's coaching teams before lunch has to put away all the gear and leave the courts free and available for the afternoon sport's program. Oh! There's Matt!" she blurted almost falling from her seat while waving a tall and broad guy over. "He's the sweetest"

Allison snorted. "You only say that because you're banging him"

"My opinion of him is possitively and absolutely biased by my feelings" Dan confirmed dramatically and at Neil's confused gaze, Renee was quick to explain.

"They're a thing"

"Oh"

Neil was starting to feel overwhelmed by all the new faces and it didn't help that the ones he'd met so far seemed delighted and entirely too curious about meeting him. For a split second he actually preferred the dismissal with which Andrew had ignored him right after confronting him. He certainly hadn't looked excited about getting a new partner.

"Who's this?" Matt asked upon arriving to the table, placing his tray next to Dan's and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Our new janitor. Neil" his girlfriend replied.

By now, his reaction was to be expected. "Oh no. Anyone warned you about the monster?"

"They have, repeatedly"

"Well if you ever need help putting him in his place, you can count on me. I'm Matt by the way" Neil shook his offered hand but chose not to say anything, and even if he'd wanted to, Allison was quick to comment.

"Like you could ever take him. If anyone can, it'd be Renee"

"Yeah but he's normal and I'm—"

"So, Neil! First day okay?" Renee interrupted after clearing her throat and once again Neil found himself the center of the conversation.

"I haven't really done anything yet"

"Don't worry, plenty of stuff to clean up after lunch" Allison said and then they changed the topic to talk about Matt's morning and the kids on his team. He was the basketball coach and apparently he was worried one of the girls on the team was being harased at school.

Neil paid only half attention while he finished his food. He didn’t trust Allison's comment about Renee being able to fight Andrew and win. From what he could gather at the locker room, Andrew was short but definitely strong and vicious. Renee looked so... passive, like she wouldn't hurt a fly and her features spoke volumes of a gentle personality. Had Neil misjudged her upon laying eyes on her? He hadn't inmediately catalogued her as a threat but was she?

In fact, since the moment he arrived at the court, he'd been classifying everyone into two groups based on what little information he'd been provided with and first impressions: threatening and non threatening. Andrew and Coach had made the threatening list for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, to Neil, any person around his father's age was instantly catalogued as such. No one else had met his requirements to be considered a threat, even though both Dan and Allison seemed like pretty strong opinionated women, but he just couldn't sense any ill intentions coming from them. Not like his new suspicions on Renee, which Neil couldn't entirely be sure weren't biased themselves on Allison's perhaps innocent or joking comment. He was also on standby with his decision on Matt.

By the end of the first lunch shift, Neil had enough information to know how the youth center worked. Besides what Allison had explained about giving kids a safe place to hang out and an opportunity to thrive in a sport, Neil now knew some of their roles in it. Matt was a coach, he helped with the basketball and volleyball teams along with someone named Nicky that Neil had yet to meet. Dan coached soccer and helped with Exy. Allison and Seth were in charge of logistics and Renee was like a wild card ready to step in and help wherever help was needed. Andrew and now Neil were the cleaning crew and Coach, of course, was the boss.

When they all finished eating, all that was left was for Allison to introduce the rest of the gang. Not that she did much introducing since the moment the rest of the youth center workers showed up for the second lunch shift, she disappeared after some meagre introductions saying she needed to get back to the front desk. That’s how Neil found himself at the mercy of Kevin, Nicky and Aaron’s scrutinity.

“So two Andrews? Great” Neil said once the four of them were left alone. Since he’d already finished his food while the others were just starting to eat, he was left with nothing to do or fidget with.

Nicky, a tall and dark skinned bubble of excitement rose his eyebrows at him. “You met my cousin?”

Somehow, he seemed more overwhelming than Allison. “You could say that”

“I am _not_ another Andrew” Aaron’s tone left no room for argument and Neil held up his hands in a placating manner while at the same time shrugging in dismissal. Neil could agree that the twins didn’t look exactly the same. From what little he could remember about _the monster_ in their brief encounter, he seemed emotionless and desinterested if not a little angry. Aaron didn’t look exactly cheerful, but Neil didn’t think he would be confusing them any time soon.

“Noted”

“So what are you good at?” the tallest of them, Kevin, blurted out of the blue, not caring about whatever story Nicky had been excitedly talking about.

Kevin was… interesting. His gaze was focused and calculating. He was lean but fit and the length of his legs would certainly give him an advantage in a race. He had a small tattoo on his left cheek, a chess piece, that spoke volumes of his self image. A queen. The most powerful piece on the board. He was definitely in the threatening category.

Nicky beat him into answering the question. “Okay… _rude_. Kev, you can’t just start a conversation like that”

“We were already talking” Kevin reasoned and turned back to Neil to wait for an answer. Neil swallowed.

“I guess I’m good with sports in general, and I like running. I run pretty fast”

Aaron let out a snort. “You can say that alright”

Neil wasn’t quite sure what to make of that.

“You’ve done any sports before? Soccer, basketball, exy?”

“Umm, no. Nothing beyond P.E”

“How do you know you’re any good then?”

 _“Ke…vin”_ Nicky whined.

“Give me a ball and we’ll figure it out”

“Maybe we will, sooner rather than later actually. You’ll have to sub for any of us as a coach from time to time. Did they explain that to you?”

“Coach might have mentioned something about it. What teams do you coach?”

“Just exy”

Oh, Neil did _not_ just pick a challenge with the one person in charge of exy around here. Dan had mentioned helping with practices, but Kevin must be their head coach. Any other sport Neil shouldn’t have a problem with, but he should definitely be staying away from that particular court.

"Where’s Andrew?" he asked, hoping to diffuse the tense atmosphere that had done nothing but grow around them. "Isn’t he part of your group?”

“Sometimes he comes, sometimes he doesn’t. He eats alone most of the time. So what’s your story?” Nicky asked, changing the subject abruptly once again.

“I don’t have a story”

“Oh, come on. Everyone has a story, specially anyone who works here. Coach wouldn’t have hired you otherwise”

"And you say I'm rude" Kevin muttered with a grumble.

Neil kept his eyes on Nicky. “What do you mean?”

“The Foxhole Court isn’t just a second chance for the kids, it’s for the staff too. Coach only recruits people who really, really, need it”

“He hasn't hired me. I'm on probation"

“Same difference"

"I don't have a story"

"Uh-huh. I'm not allowed to tell you anyone's story but you can hear mine if you want?"

"That's... not necessary, really"

"Bummer”

"What else do you do around here?" Neil asked if only to avoid Nicky's pouting face and to bring the conversation back to safer topics. The older guy seemed content to have something to talk about though.

"Kevin's obssesion is exy so he's against branching out—"

"It's not an obssesion!"

"... Aaron is Abby's right hand man. You know, our nurse? Whenever she's not here, Aaron's the man to go to. And I co-coach volleyball and organize some outside the program activities along with Allison"

"Outside the program activities?"

"Yeah, stuff like fundraisings or outdoor activities with the kids. Things to help them develop healty relationships between them. Trust excercises and such"

"Sounds fun" he said without any real interest. As overwhelmed as he was with how big an organization like the Foxhole Court was, all he wanted to think about right now was cleaning some stuff until the end of the day and then figure out how to procede with the rest of his plan. He still needed to figure out where he'd be staying for the next two months, and start quietly knocking on some doors to ask about his mother.

"... Rangers, one for every color and—"

"What did you say?" Neil interrupted, Nicky's words bringing him out of his thoughts.

"I was talking about this rally we did one time"

"Yeah but, about the colors"

"Oh! The Power Ranger's theme. We divided the kids into four groups, one for every color and had them running through obstacles all day. It was so much fun"

"Power Rangers?" he asked and suddenly everyone's gaze was on him, even Aaron's, who hadn't done much more than eat his food for a while now.

"You don't know who the Power Rangers are?" Nicky asked surprised.

"Not that anyone really _knows_ who they are" Aaron muttered, sending a scathing look Nicky's way.

"Yeah, okay. But, do you seriously not know about them?"

"I'm new in town" Neil replied like it wasn't the hundredth time he'd said that already.

"They're like our protectors!"

"Ummm..."

"You know... mythical warriors that tap into the energy of the morphing gr—"

"Nicky, you're confusing him" this time Kevin.

"I've never heard about them before" Neil said apollogetically. It wasn't the first time Neil had been called on his lack of general knowledge since a life on the run didn't leave him much time to learn anything but survival skills, but he was used to it by now. Still, there was something about the whole experience that nagged at his brain. Something he felt he should be able to remember but wasn't. It was disquieting.

He'd been dying to ask all day about the people he'd seen that morning, the rainbow warriors that had saved him from the dark feathered creatures. He still wasn't sure the whole thing hadn't been more than a hallucination maybe caused by lack of sleep or malnutrition. And it's not like he was going to blurt out to a group of perfect strangers: oh, is it true that your city has half human half bird creatures that go around attacking people at random? And what about the rainbow warrios? Are they real? He couldn't imagine a conversation like that going well in his mind, much less in real life. But here they were, talking about the... the Power Rangers and Neil was somewhat relieved to know he hadn't gone crazy after all.

"So these... people, these warriors. Do they show often?" he asked.

"Only when Ravens are around"

"Ravens?"

"I think that's enough information for now" Kevin said as he sprung to his feet. "Lunch time is over and practice starts in 30 minutes"

Nicky was about to protest and, frankly, so was Neil, but Aaron glanced beyond them into the almost empty cafeteria now. "Andrew's here"

Sure enough, Neil turned to look at the five foot of apathetic energy coming their way and he prepared himself for either being blatantly ignored or slammed into the nearest wall.

"Come on. I'll only show you how to do this job today. After that, you're on your own"

Turns out it was neither.

Neil was all too glad to be relatively alone again after the ordeal that was lunch, though he regretted having to cut their conversation short. He was finally starting to get some answers without having to disclose his own experience with the Ravens and the Power Rangers.

The Power Rangers... the name sounded so foreign and yet so... right at the same time that it was hard not to think about them for the rest of the day as Andrew led him from room to room and told him what to do.

They'd started Neil's incredibly short training by going back to the staff locker room and the storage closet in it.

"We've got detergent, bleach, disinfectant, insecticide, toilet paper, trash bags… There's a system so don't go misplacing things and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be by the end of the day" Neil nodded and followed him to the corner of the room. "This is your cart, it has a waste basket to collect the garbage from every room, a broom, a mop and a bucket. Sponges, rubber gloves and brushes. Everything you could possibly need to scrub shit out of the floor and more. Again, don't mess with the system and stay the fuck away from my cart. Understood?"

"Yes"

After that, he spent the next several hours learning from Andrew what his daily routine would be like for the upcoming couple of weeks. Mop the floor of the three courts every morning before the first practice of the day, clean every locker room and bathroom in sight, leave the cafeteria spotless after lunch, change the bag on every trashcan and give the gym a short round after that. Neil wondered how Andrew managed to do all that on schedule when working alone. The answer just might be that he didn't let himself get distracted by his coworkers and he didn't actually have to interact with any of the kids on court. Neil was glad though, the solitude of the job would give him plenty of time to think and plan his next course of action so he can actually have the time to search for his mother when he was off the job. He also counted it as a plus that he wouldn't be subjected to everyone else's chatty personalities for long periods of time, at least not like today.

By the end of the day, Neil was exhausted. It wasn't so much because of the job but because all the social interactions he'd had to do at the youth center. After a morning like the one he'd had, meeting so many new faces and being forced to interact with them had simply being tiring. Neil was glad to be done for the day.

He was in the locker room changing out of his uniform after putting away the cleaning carts and saying goodbye to Andrew without getting a reply. He preferred it though, the cold treatment Andrew gave him, not speaking unless absolutely necessary. It made the need for pleasantries and small talk useless and Neil was thankful for the reprieve.

His shoulders slumped in relief when the familiar weight of his duffle bag settled at his side. He figured there was no need to take the absurd amount of new clothes with him since he'd be back the next day to use the uniforms anyway, so he left them there under lock and key, feeling oddly relieved by that too. Then he bent down to tie his shoes and be done for the day.

A knock on the door made him look up from his hunched position but as his new boss leaned against the door frame, Neil sprung to his feet and caught a reflexive hold on the strap of his bag.

"Coach"

"Heading out?" Neil nodded and shuffled nervously on his feet. "How did it go? Were you traumatized enough to quit on the first day?"

"No. It was good" he didn't want to upset the man telling him his first day had been weird as hell, not that it had actually been bad, and he also wondered if he thought working with Andrew would in fact traumatize him on the very first day like everyone else seemed to think. He'd been actually more put out by everyone's curiosity and talkative tendencies than by his first encounter with the blond man. Allison was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

"We'll see if you think the same after a week" Coach said with a smirk and not for the first time Neil wondered how the youth center got to keep any of its employees if they were constantly making comments like that.

He was saved from answering when the man took a step forward into the room and extended his arm to him, Neil watching every movement with a calculated precision born out of necessity in case he tried anything fishy, but what the man did was offer him a wad of cash that Neil didn't dare touch right away. "What's this?"

"I'm paying your probation time in advance, just in case it was something you needed to get by these days and saving us both the trouble of you asking for it. If you don't need it, well you have it anyway"

Neil stared at the offered money and resisted the urge to snatch it out of Coach's hand like a starving man with an offered loaf of bread. The offer was unexpected but the reason behind it incredibly thoughtful. Neil had to force himself to remember that the man was a social worker and was probably used to offering help to people like him. It was probably the same reason why he'd hired him with nothing more than a sketchy and suspicious lack of background. He kept eying between Coach and the money, not looking forward to feeling like he owed the man anything for this advanced payment, at least not anything other than the two weeks he was paying him for, but it was hard to win an argument with his paranoid self on any given day. In the end, he resolved to just take the money. If by some reason he had to ditch this new identity and run before the probation time was over, well it wasn't like Neil would stick around to see the dissappointment on Coach's face.

"Thank you" he said respectfully and put the money away.

Coach didn't make a big deal out of the time it took for him to accept and he said his goodbyes quickly before disappearing out the door, leaving Neil behind to finish tying up his laces and then walking out the room himself.

On his way out, he saw the emptying courts and a few of his new temporary coworkers gathering the used material to close the courts for the day, he passed Renee on his way out the double metal doors and then Allison over by the desk. Everyone gave him a wave and a _see you tomorrow_ to walk him out the door of the Foxhole Court and Neil was surprised to find he was actually looking forward to come back the next day. The place had already given him a hot meal and a small wad of cash to get him going on his very first day and he couldn't help thinking that coming to Palmetto had been a good idea after all.

Now he just needed to start doing what he'd actually came here to do. He had absolutely no idea how to get started on his search since he knew absolutely nothing and no one in the city and the binder hadn't offered any more information than the name of the place, but at least the unexpected payment solved one of his inmediate problems. He decided to spend the first night in a motel, too mentally and phisycally exhausted to look for a more permanente solution, as permanent as his sleeping arrangements could ever be anyway, but it was a start. He just hoped that come morning he'd have a clearer view on what his next steps should be.

Neil ended up staying in the cheapest motel he could find for the rest of the week. The room he was in was small, smelled of mold and looked like something straight out of a black and white movie, old and sketchy. But it was cheap enough that Neil could stretch the cash for a while since he wouldn't have to buy any food for some time, and he'd stayed in worst places over the years, so it was okay. There was a long uphill way between the hotel and his new work place, but he was actually glad for the opportunity to excercise his legs.

His first week working at the Foxhole Court turned out to be pretty uneventful. He'd already met everyone there was to meet, including nurse Abby and Dr. Dobson when they'd come in on wednesday to spend the afternoon in their offices. Abby had encouraged him to go to them in case he needed anything, though why would Neil ever need a shrink poking around in his head, he didn't know. He'd also finally met Seth, the last elusive coworker that Allison and the girls kept complaining about but seemed content enough to have him hang around them at lunch every other day. As it turned out, he'd been the guy Allison had been talking to behind the front desk on his first day here.

The job routine was pretty much as Andrew had taught him that first day, but just like he'd said, he was left to his own devices every day after that. They divided up the chores so while Andrew cleaned the bathrooms, Neil would work the locker rooms. They did the court floors and the cafeteria together, but other than that, Neil barely caught sight of the blond man during the day.

On friday, Renee found them cleaning the cafeteria after the second lunch shift.

"Hey guys. How's the day going?"

"Slow" she was closer to him since he'd been cleaning out the trashcan by the door so he was the one to answer, debating for a second if asking how her day was too would be the polite thing to do, but he was saved from making a decision when Andrew joined them not a moment after.

"Oh Renee, just tell us where you need us and let's be done with it"

"Can't I just be coming to say hi? See how Neil's adapting?" she asked with an easy going smile on her face Neil hadn't seen any of the other workers giving Andrew when forced to talk to him. In fact, no one outside his gang actually bothered to talk to him at all.

"That would sound like you" Andrew conceeded.

"I'm okay, Renee" Neil replied because if by some chance she was coming to check up on him while working with the monster, he didn't want to give anyone false ideas about how the job was. If anything, he thought it was the most peaceful job the youth center had to offer, monster or no monster. Though why he worried about what the others kept thinking of Andrew, he had no idea.

"I'm glad to hear that" she said and lingered for a moment before adding, "So, not too busy right now?"

Andrew let out a small blow of air that could've passed as a snort. "Told ya"

"I can never get one past you, can I?"

"I don't know why you still try" all Renee did was smile wider.

"Well, come on then, we need you on the basketball court. Everything else is covered"

Andrew didn't answer right away and Neil decided to make things easier by choosing to stay behind and finish their work. "I can finish this alone"

"Actually, you could help too. Matt was handling two groups today. We could use the extra hand"

"Where is he?"

"Coach needed him for something, I don't really know what"

Andrew moved his cleaning cart out of the way and left it beside the wall before signaling for Renee to lead the way. "Let's not keep the monkeys waiting then"

Renee acompanied them as far as the edge of the court and then disappeared beyond the metal door to their right. Neil had been expecting some sort of introduction to the awaiting kids on the court instead of just dropping in on them unannaunced, it would be his first time substituting for a coach and he hadn't seen Andrew stepping into the role either. He was actually worried the kids would just up and leave once they saw who would be taking charge of practice because Neil wasn't any good at interacting with other people in general and he had absolutely no experience with younger kids whatsoever. Andrew wasn't exactly babysitting material so he couldn't imagine the substitution going well for anyone, but as soon as they stepped into the court, his worries were instantly appeased if only to be replaced by bottomless curiosity since all the kids had broken out into grins upon seeing them.

"Andrew!" cries of Andrew's name ecchoed around them until the closest group of kids reached them.

To Neil's dismay, the blond greeted them with the same amount of emotion he did everything else. That is, with none. "Monkeys"

"We get you today?" the kids didn't seem fazed though and they continued to grin up at him despite his cold demeanor.

"Unfortunately"

"Hey guys, it's Andrew!" one of the kids called the rest of them that had been too busy passing a ball between each other to notice the commotion happening on this side of the court.

"What are we gonna today Andrew?"

"Yeah, what have you got for us?"

The blond crossed his arms over his chest and sent a glare the kids' way. "You're gonna start doing sit ups if you don't shut it"

A small round of laughter followed the statement but the kids stopped pestering him with questions a after that. That was until they noticed Neil standing awkwardly behind him. "Who's that?"

For the first time that day, Neil saw an actual flicker of amusement pass through Andrew's eyes. "Oh, wouldn't we all like to know... Monkeys, Neil. Neil, the Monkeys"

The Monkeys were a mismatched group of kids going from the ages of eight all the way up to adolescence, the oldest of them all was a girl that didn’t even seem that much younger than Neil himself. They were the most bizarre looking sports team Neil had ever seen but he guessed the Foxhole Court was all about doing sports for fun and not about following the rules.

"Umm, hi" he said with an awkward wave before the kids shifted their questioning focus on him.

"Are you a basketball player?"

"No"

"What are you doing here then?"

"Monkeysitting, apparently" it was the younger ones the ones more prone to ask the questions. Fortunately, that was all their apparently short attention span allowed them to ask before shrugging in acceptance of his presence and turning back to Andrew.

"Can we play a game? Matt had us doing solo drills"

"Depends, do you have any candy?" Andrew asked seriously and one of the younger kids raised his arm excitedly.

"I have a sinckers!"

"It'll have to do" Neil's eyebrows rose in stunned surprise but Andrew was all business before he could ask anything about it. "Okay, here's what you'll do: Monkeys 5, 8 and... 12 didn't come today? Fine, 10 will do. You'll be captains. Pick teams, if you start fighting, I don't want to hear about it. Teams 5 and 10 will play first. Eight minute game and the winner plays Team 8. Losers do push ups until you're up again. The rest of you get Neil on the other side of the court. Any questions?"

Neil was in awe. Where he'd barely understood Andrew's directions, the kids got in motion inmediately after he stopped talking. The three oldest looking kids began picking teams and Andrew's three five-member teams separated themselves from the rest of the group. That left at least twelve kids for Neil to deal with on his own and they didn't look too thrilled to be stuck with the new guy and not with the blond.

"I have a question" he asked in a low voice, stepping closer to Andrew's back to keep the kids from listening. He noticed the blond's body tensing at the closeness and he took a step to the side to speak where the other man could see him. "What the hell am I supposed to do with the other kids? And are you seriously gonna take a candy from a kid just to let them play?"

"First of all, that's two questions. He gives me a sinckers today, I bring him two tomorrow, that's how it works. As for you, do whatever you think will keep them busy enough. They start fighting if they have too much time on their hands"

With that, he left him to go after his group and Neil was left with the expectant faces of his own kids.

"Umm, alright... you can do whatever he said on the other half of the court"

"We're twelve, we can't make teams of five" a girl of around eleven years old said.

Neil shrugged. "Why not play six against six?"

"6x6? On a _half court_?" another one said, raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Alright, three groups of four then. One doing push ups on the side"

A snort from a boy that didn’t look older than ten but was tall enough to be fifteen. "Because that's original"

"They're doing it. They're fine with it" Neil replied, enviously watching how Andrew’s group was already playing their game.

"Exactly" the same boy answered back and Neil just didn’t get the sarcasm under his words. He just let out a calming breath and signaled for the group to go ahead.

"Just get a move on"

The kids ran towards the other half of the court and started making groups. After a while he could understand why Andrew referred to them as monkeys. Whenever they weren't playing, they were literally jumping on top of each other. Neil had to stop at least too friendly pushing matches before they became unfriendly and was really tempted to just make everyone run laps around the court until their legs gave out. But whenever the short games were in motion, Neil got a reprieve of their endless energy and took advantage of the kids' distraction to look around.

Since the plexiglass walls dividing the courts were transparent, Neil caught a glimpse of what was going on at the other side. His eyes lingered of course in the exy practice and that's when he noticed Kevin wasn't the one coaching today, it was Aaron. Turning around to see the soccer practice, he found Nicky partnered up with one of the kids instead of Dan. He thought about Andrew and him substituting for Matt and he wondered how was it that Coach needed all his coaches at the same time during practice hours. But he wasn't interested enough to ask and he guessed as long as someone was always available to substitute then it wasn't really a problem for the youth center.

Neil figured it happened often enough for the kids to know Andrew so well and to actually be excited about working with him, and wasn't that an unexpected revelation? Never in a million years would Neil had pegged Andrew as someone who liked kids. It wasn't that he talked or acted any differently than he did with anyone else, but there was something about his harsh words towards them that seemed more joking than reprimanding. It actually seemed like the kids liked to get on his nerves just to get him to snap at them, as if they knew he didn't really mean it. As it was, the kids seemed delighted to follow his instructions and do push ups and sit ups whenever he told them to. It was almost unnerving to see.

Had any of the other workers ever actually seen Andrew with the kids? If they had, Neil doubted they would keep calling him a monster.

When there were ten minutes left of practice, Andrew called everyone to a stop and yelled his next instructions from his side of the court.

"You have five minutes to make ten baskets each. Whoever doesn't make it runs five laps around the court!"

The kids were all sweaty and they looked tired after two hours of practice, but they squealed and ran excitedly to begin shooting the balls towards the hoops. They were frantic about getting the task done before having to run any laps and Neil found himself smiling at their enthusiasm.

When almost half the kids were done running, all that could be heard was their loud breathing and their easy banter. They were happy.

The volleyball players were waiting for them to clear the court, so Andrew ushered everyone out with a firm bark.

"Hey 4! Don't forget my sinckers" Neil wanted so badly to ask about the numbers thing, how he called everyone a Monkey and each kid responded to a different number, but he didn't get the chance as they were surrounded in a chorus of _goodbyes_ and _see you around’_ s.

"Goodbye Andrew!"

"Bye Drew!"

Neil was pleasantly surprised to hear his own name thrown in there as well.

"Drew?" Neil asked amused after Monkey number 4 came back from the locker rooms and handed Andrew the candy bar before fistbumping him and running off.

"Shut the fuck up" the blond spat back and Neil was actually disappointed to hear him go back to his apathetic ways. For a moment there during practice, Neil had caught a gleam in his eyes and a barely there smile when he thought no one was watching him, or maybe he just hadn't realized he was doing it.

"Do we have to handle volleyball practice too?" Neil watched as some of the older kids handled setting up the net and the heavy equipment while the younger ones ran around chasing each other. Neil thought he would be in real trouble if they had to stay, because he knew absolutely nothing about the sport.

"No need, there comes the wayward coach"

Sure enough, Matt was running towards them with a relieved expression on his face. "Thanks a lot guys! Everything alright?"

"Ask him" Andrew said gesturing towards Neil. "I've got work to do"

Neil watched him walk away from the court and frowned after his dismissive words. He supposed the view everyone else had of him was at least partially his own fault if he acted like that around the rest.

Matt had only a few minutes to listen to Neil's recount of how practice had gone before he had to focus on the volleyball practice and Neil had his own job to get back to, so they parted ways and Neil spent the rest of the day doing the job he was actually hired to do.

* * *

It was after the end of his friday shift when it happened.

Neil was on his way to the motel after the unexpected change of pace at work. His duffle bag was strapped securely over one shoulder and his legs were taking him farther away from the Foxhole Court with every drag of his feet. He was beat. He didn't think he'd ever had to work so many hours a day and he was starting to question his judgement after accepting a job that hadn't left him much free time during the week to even start searching for his mother. His day off couldn't get here fast enough, but it was only friday and he still had one more day to go.

The long way to the motel was a familiar one by now and though he'd avoided going through the park where he'd found the _Help Wanted_ add all week, he wondered whether it was worth it to add the extra twenty minutes to his walk just so he wouldn't risk running into any Ravens, that's how tired he was. In the end though, he gave the gated park a wide berth and continued to be on his way.

A few minutes into the deviation, a hard shoulder bumped into his and Neil struggled to not lose his balance.

"Sorry" he mumbled out of reflex but when he glanced back, the man, who had been talking into his phone, paid him no mind.

Neil kept walking as he stared at the man's back and that's when he crashed into the back of the person walking in front of him.

"You should watch where you're going" the tall man said, a note of irritation in his voice. Neil apologized quickly and went to sidestep the man when a hand landed heavily on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The hair at the back of his head stood on end and Neil shrugged the hand awkwardly from his shoulder. "I'm fine. I'm sorry"

The man released him and Neil went on his way. "I sure hope so, number 5. After all, I need you in one piece"

Neil froze in his tracks. "What did you just say?"

When he turned around, he half expected to see a Raven staring back at him, but the man looked as ordinary as he could, except maybe for the number 1 tattoed high on his left cheek. When his gaze got to the man's eyes, that's when he knew he'd seen the viciousness in them before and he didn't need more time to think about it. He ran.

Except the moment he turned around, four dark figures dropped out of the sky to surround him and the tattoed man, and Neil inhaled a sharp breath.

The Ravens.

"Running will get you nowhere"

With his heart hammering inside his chest, Neil turned around to face the man again. "What the hell do you want from me?"

"I told you, I need another number"

"Whatever you think I am, I'm not!"

"Don't you worry about it. I will _make_ you into it, you just have to come with me"

Neil squeezed his hands into fists. "Fuck you"

"I won't ask again. This is me trying the nice way"

"And this is me nicely telling you to leave me the fuck alone"

"Don't say I didn't warn you"

The man moved at breakneck speed and Neil found himself slammed into the wall of the nearest building, the back of his head connecting painfuly against the hard brick. The four Ravens moved as one to surround them again and around the spots clouding his vision, Neil watched in horror as the man's features began to darken and change right before him. His eyes flashed a sickening shade of yellow before settling back to their dark color and Neil almost wanted to gag when black feathers began growing right out of the man's skin.

"Who are you?" Neil whispered in horror and grunted when the forearm keeping him pinned to the wall pressed even harder against him.

"I'm gonna be your King" the man spat at the same time the suit he'd been wearing got ripped to pieces away from his body as his body grew to stand as tall and threatening as the rest of the Ravens. Neil flinched when the feathered wings sprung out last. "And once you're one of my Ravens, you'll learn to do as I say"

Neil wanted to scream, partly out of fear for the supernatural creatures trying to stake their claim on him, and partly out of anger because after all the precautions he'd taken to stay out of his father's reach, this cursed city had managed to get him trapped in its supernatural bullshit. He never should have come to Palmetto and he should have left the moment these Ravens had set eyes on him.

But Neil wasn't going to go down without a fight and he was certainly not gonna let any crazy half bird-brain man with delusions of grandeur get away with turning him into one of them.

"Maybe your ears are full of bird shit" Neil snarled while grabbing a fistful of feathers from the Raven's face. "But I said: fuck off"

And he ripped the feathers away with all his might.

The Raven let out an inhuman cry and brought both hands up to cover his face effectively dropping his hold on Neil. Neil hit the ground running. But he didn't go very far before one of the other Ravens landed heavily on his back. Neil grunted under the weight and then gasped when the thing picked him up effortlessly and sent him flying towards his friends.

Fortunately he didn't hit the ground, but only because he was caught mid air by another Raven who turned him around just so he could slash at his chest with its talons. But Neil reacted fast enough to avoid any injuries by taking a quick step out of the talons range. The strap of his duffle wasn't so lucky though and it snapped after the first slash. Neil saw his duffle hit the floor and instinctively bent down to retrieve it. It was second nature for him never to get separated from his bag, and that's how he put himself back into the Raven's space. The hideous creature didn't hesitate. It kicked Neil painfully on his chest and he flew a few feet back before collapsing on his back, coughing all the oxygen out of his lungs. The Ravens circled him again.

Their leader came forward once more, his pace unhurried since his prey kept struggling unsuccessfully to get back on his feet. Despite the raw bloodied skin marring the side of his face where feathers had once been, he had a triumphant smile playing across his lips.

"You're gonna be one hell of a right hand man... or Raven"

Neil knew he was doomed. The Ravens kept closing in and Neil sent one more desperate look towards his broken duffle bag before a blinding show of sparks had the Ravens recoiling away from him. When his vision cleared, Neil had never been more happy to see the rainbow warriors running towards him. The Power Rangers.

"Get back!" Green yelled at the Ravens on Neil's left side while Yellow took his post between him and the Ravens on the right. They had what looked liked guns in their hands and when they fired them again, the Ravens jumped back another several feet to avoid the discharge of the weapons. Blue stood in front of him, facing off against the leader of the Ravens and the pink Ranger crouched down next to Neil, a hand on his shoulder while the other helped him sit up from the floor.

"Are you okay, can you stand?" Neil nodded because he didn't trust himself to speak and with some effort he got back on his feet.

"Riko" the blue Ranger said while pointing his weapon right at the center of the Raven's chest.

The Raven only laughed. "Well, well, well... if it isn't the little pests again. Get out of my way! The boy is mine"

"Think again, bird breath" the yellow Ranger spat and took a step closer to Blue.

The Raven took a step forward. "You will not come out of this alive"

"You've tried killing us before, it doesn't seem to be working out so well"

"Then allow me to up my game"

Without warning, the Ravens struck. They avoided the blast from the Ranger's weapons and soon enough they were all engaged in close combat, much like the first time Neil had seen them fight, except this time there were way too many Ravens.

Pink pulled Neil back away from the fight, leaving her friends to fight uneven against the creatures, not that five against four were even odds anyway, but Neil couldn't find enough breath in his lungs to tell her to go with them.

"Hey, hey" she called his attention and he realized he'd been leaning way too much into her while trying to catch his breath. "You need to get out here"

Distantly, Neil thought there was something about her voice that sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't spare any thoughts to ponder on it. She was right, he needed to go. Except the motel was too far away and he was way too hurt to make it there without collapsing halfway there. He had nowhere to hide.

He was about to tell her just that when she suddenly pulled his arm and pushed him behind her when a Raven landed close enough to slash out. She blocked the strike and sent a few kicks of her own before yelling back at him.

"Go back to the Foxhole Court! Go!" wait... what? He stared dumbly at her while she fought off the Raven and it wasn't until she landed a hit strong enough to stun that she turned completely towards him. "Neil, go now!"

Well, _that_ was unexpected. But even though he wanted to ask how the hell did she know his name, he recognized it was either run now or stay and die. That quickly made up his mind. He turned to where his duffle laid discarded on the ground, far enough away from the fight that he could make a desperate dash to grab it before running off in the direction of the youth center and then set his body in motion. He forced himself to make one last effort to push his body forward, tapping into the same kind of desperate energy that had gotten him out of tighter spots in the past, and he just ran for it.

He snatched his duffle from the floor and then retreated all of his steps towards the youth centre until the fight was a distant mixture of grunts and shouts and bodies hitting the ground.

He spared only one glance back towards the Power Rangers, an odd sensation of guilt settling deep into his bones. He wished there was something he could do to help them instead of letting them risk their lives again to protect him from the Ravens, but what was a mere human like him supposed to do against supernatural creatures like that? With one final glance back, Neil ran the rest of the way to the Foxhole Court.

With the last of his adrenalin rush, Neil made it to the building, only now just wondering how the hell he would get inside if the place had already closed for the day, but he didn't have to worry much because as soon as he was within reach, the door swung open.

"Quick Neil, inside"

"Renee" he gasped, doubling over his duffle and trying to stop breathing like he had asthma.

"Coach is waiting for you upstairs"

"What the hell is going on?"

She ushered him inside and offered a tight smile. "He'll explain everything. Come on, the others don't have much time"

Neil followed her through the lobby, beyond the double metal doors and the now empty courts. When they made it into the cefeteria and, beyond that, the kitchen, Neil realized that at this point, nothing else could surprise him anymore. He was wrong. Renee guided him towards the back of the kitchen where two industrial refrigerator doors stood tall against the wall. One of them had a code panel to the side. Renee punched in a four digit code and then yanked the door open. Somehow, Neil still expected to see the interior of a cold refrigerator but, instead, he could make out a stairwell going up. During the week not once had it occurred to him to ask what was on the other two floors of the building, but he didn't have to wonder now either because as soon as the door was out of the way, Renee pulled him along and up they raced.

When they reached the top, Neil froze in his step for the second time that day. If the ground floor of the Foxhole Court was a maze of hallways, locker rooms and courts, this floor was one big open space with what looked like a Nasa computer station in the middle of it and different work spaces scattered around the place. But as much as he wanted to see the rest of it, Neil's eyes caught on to the fact that: 1) _everyone_ was here, including, to his surprise, Andrew, who was standing slightly apart from the rest of the group with his arms crossed in front of his chest and staring at him with the same amount of indifference he'd shown since he'd met him; and 2) the monitors hanging over their heads were showing the fight against the Ravens from every angle the cameras on the street allowed.

Coach was watching him intently from across the room and Neil realized everyone was looking expectantly at him. Andrew, Nicky, Aaron, Dan, Renee... Neil's eyes went from the monitors to the people present inside the room and back to the monitors again. His eyes widened in realization and he let out a gasp of breath.

" _You're the Power Rangers!?_ "

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_ **

**_Next episode: Call of the Fox (Part 2)_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Is the story line worth pursuing? I sure hope it is because, like I said, there are already 20 episodes outlined.  
> Any comments? Thoughts? Questions? I’ll be more than happy to answer any doubts about the story, the plot or the characters.  
> What did you think of the pictures?  
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
> Un an unrelated note: for those of you who are following my other story “This might be a little out of hand”, fear not, the story isn’t either finished nor abandoned. Let’s say I’m challenging myself to juggle several projects at a time. I just couldn’t help myself from posting the pilot episode of this story now.
> 
> With nothing left to be said, I hope to see you guys return for the next episode!


	2. Call of the Fox (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I couldn’t help myself this weekend and I just had to post the next episode since my muse got struck by lightning and I was able to write it all in two days. Granted, this episode is a bit shorter than the first but as a make up gift, I’ve added a bonus image at the end of the episode that I really hope you guys like.
> 
> Also, I kind of went full out with the pictures on this one so you get FOUR images to go with the story. Remember, my drawings are mostly simple stuff to give you an idea of how I picture some of the details of the story in my mind :)
> 
> Lastly, thanks for all the kudos and the comment on the first episode. I really hope you guys get hooked with this story and join me for this ride that promises to be exciting and fun!
> 
> Episode WARNINGS: graphic description of domestic violence and abuse. Nothing too heavy, I think, but it’s there. (Make sure to read the note at the end as well on the subject of warnings)

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_Neil Josten arrived at the City of Palmetto in a last attempt to find his mother alive. After getting attacked by Ravens and saved by mysterious warriors in colorful suits, Neil found a job at the Foxhole Court, a sports youth centre meant to be a safe haven for kids in risky situations. After a week, he got ambushed by the Raven leader himself and the rainbow warriors, also known as the Power Rangers, sent him back to the youth centre where all his coworkers were waiting for him to reveal that they were, in fact, in league with the Power Rangers._

**S1 E2: Call of the Fox (Part 2)**

* * *

_Alex was in the passenger seat of their current stolen vehicle while his mother drove them from their previous hiding spot to the next. They'd already been in Philadelphia for far too long and it was time to move. They'd switched vehicles at least twice already, more worried about the police posting a BOLO alert for the stolen cars than about his father's people following their trail. They were certain they were in the clear, or at least as certain as they would ever be. Alex was tired, though he was fighting not to show it. Sometimes he wondered how his mother managed to keep such unrelenting energy when even at his sixteen years, Alex felt dragged down by exhaustion and days on end of changing identities and becoming someone new._

_At least this car had a working radio and he could keep himself awake by paying attention to the news._

_He probably should have been mentally rehearsing the background information of his new identity. After all, Alex no longer existed. But, again, he was tired and there wasn't much to learn anyway._

_His new name was Stan, his mother was Annaleigh Peterson and they were moving due to her new position at some fake technology company. He was sixteen going on seventeen and they were supposed to get settled while his fictional father was away on business himself. Simple enough in case anyone asked, not that anyone should ask since Alex—_ Stan _, would be homeschooled and wouldn't even get out of whatever apartment they managed to find if he could help it. His mother had made it very clear._

_"... in an unrelated topic, news of Palmetto City continue to surprise as the so called Power Rangers saved a derailed train from creating a full on collision potentially killing hundreds of passengers. Not only are they protecting the city from the strange creatures threatening to overtake it, but they also perform truly heroic deeds in the name of protecting the citizens of Palmetto. Who are these protectors? Where did they come from? I guess as long as they keep up the good work, the people of Palmetto will continue to applaud them after every heroic save. We don't know how..." Stan turned down the volume of the radio and dared voice a question to his mother._

_"Do you think they could help us?"_

_His voice was low, so as to not disrupt the new silent atmosphere the low volume of the radio created. His mother barely glanced at him to reply. "Who?"_

_"Weren't you listening?"_

_"I didn't need to. No one can help us Abram. No one will"_

_"But these people, they sound like they could take Father down. Do you think if we go to Palmetto they would help us?"_

_The car did a sudden lurch when his mother turned horrified eyes on him before focusing back on the road. "What did you say?"_

_"Mom, Palmetto City? The Power Rangers? Didn't you listen to anything the reporter said?"_

_Instead of answering, she yanked the volume of the radio up as if barely now realizing that the thing was even on, but the news lady had already moved on to talk about some massive car collision somewhere and his mother hissed before turning the radio off completely and then addressing Stan with venom in her voice._

_"Don't you ever mention that place again"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I say so"_

_"But mom, what if they_ could _help? Maybe we don't have to keep running, maybe the Power Rangers can—"_

_The smack to the side of his face was completely unexpected though not entirely surprising. His mother had been known to smack him around from time to time when she needed to drive a point home and make sure he understood whatever she was trying to teach him. Still, Stan had never seen his mother retaliate to his asking a question. Normally she would hit him when he made a mistake that could cost them their anonimity, but they were alone in the car, it was just them. Still, the look in her eyes caught him by surprise._

_"_ Shut up _" she hissed angrily while he brought a hand to the side of his face where the shape of her palm was still tingling on his skin._

_"But mom—"_

_"No buts! I told you no one can help us and these Power Rangers don't even exist as far as I'm concerned. Palmetto City doesn't exist. Tell me you understand this"_

_Apparently he hesitated too long because her heavy hand landed painfuly on him again though he tried to protect his face with his arm. "Tell me!"_

_The problem was she didn't really give him time to answer after that because she kept hitting him and hitting and hitting him until the car came dangerously close to swerving off lane and she had to cease her attack momentarily to turn the car slightly to the side and coming to a stop at the side of the road. There was no one driving behind them but she turned the taillights on anyway._

_He risked a glance at her from under his raised arms, afraid the attack would continue now that they weren't in danger of crashing anymore, but his mother had both hands firmly grasped on the wheel while she gasped and failed to stop hyperventilating next to him. His mother was having a panic attack and he wasn't sure he could stalve his own at the sight of her in such state. He had never seen her like this._

_"Mom?" he asked in a whisper and flinched back when she turned to him suddenly though he couldn't prevent one of her hands from latching into his chin with bruising force._

_"Listen to me Abram. There's nothing for us in Palmetto City. No one there can help us. No one anywhere can help us. Palmetto doesn't exists, do you understand me? It doesn't. If you ever mention it again I will leave you where you're standing for your father's people to be done with you. You hear me? Palmetto. Doesn't. Exists"_

_Stan's eyes had widened at her mother's words and they had yet to lose the deer caught in headlights look. She was threatening to leave him behind, because of a question, because of some stupid news anchor lady and her bringing up news about places Stan hadn't even heard about before. He wouldn't survive on the run without his mother, not if she decided to feed him to the wolves. He couldn't risk that._

_"I'm sorry" he whispered awkwardly because between the split lip from one of her slaps and the tight grip she had on his chin, he was barely able to talk. "I'm sorry mom. I'm... I... don't leave me"_

_"Then shut your mouth about things that don't exist"_

It doesn't exist. Palmetto doesn't exists. The Power Rangers don't exist.

 _He nodded and she finally let him go. He couldn't suppress a moan when he worked his jaw around a little and his mother brought a hand back to his face making him flinch in the process, but she merely cupped his cheek, gently, tenderly,_ motherly _, and her voice lost the harshness from before._

_"You understand, don't you Abram? I love you, we only have each other and that's why you need to listen to me. I'm trying to protect you"_

_"I know mom. I love you too"_

_"That's my boy" she praised, something he lived for whenever rare opportunity she decided to indulge him, and guided the car back into the road. "Maybe we should keep the radio off, don't you think? It's peaceful this way"_

_Stan didn't answer back and he also never mentioned the incident again. Not for as long as he remained Stan and not for the few other identities he had to asume after that. By the time they made it to Seattle half a year later and he got separated from his mother, he had completely forgotten about it._

_After all, Palmetto City didn't exist._

* * *

"You're the Power Rangers!?"

No one seemed too keen on answering his question, but it wasn’t like Neil needed any more confirmation than the sight of the whole room around them, complete with monitors and all. In the end, it was Nicky who broke the silence with a grimace. “Surprise?”

“That… that day at the park, you saved me from those creatures. You knew who I was when I got here”

“Well, not us _us_. They saved you” Aaron supplied unhelpfully while pointing at the screens above their heads.

Dan spoke next, sitting down on a chair Neil hadn’t noticed before and typing her fingers into one of the keyboards on the table. “More like you saved their asses. Bold move by the way, you bought the team enough time to regroup”

Neil turned to his boss then, who had yet to utter a single word. “So, what, you hire everyone the Ravens go after?”

“Not really, although—” it was Nicky who had spoken but he was interrupted by a loud voice coming through the monitors and resonating through the whole room.

“Dan, is he there yet?”

“Is that… _Kevin_?” Neil asked surprised.

Again, his question went unanswered and Dan pressed a button on a desktop microphone before leaning closer to speak through it. “Yes, he’s here”

“Coach, hurry up! We need him!” another voice ecchoed and Neil could make out the background sounds of battle coming off the speakers.

Finally, Coach stepped forward. “Neil, I really wish I could explain this better but we’re running out of time and we need your help”

“What? How?”

“We believe you’re the only one who can help us”

“Help you do what?”

“Fight off the Ravens”

Neil wanted to let out a laugh and ask how everyone had come up with the idea of pranking him like that, but all the faces around him were dead serious and it’s not like anyone would build an entire command center on the second floor of the Foxhole Court just to mess with him. Coach sounded dead serious about this, and that only meant they truly wanted Neil to fight alongside them.

“I can’t fight Ravens. I’m not… You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m a nobody”

“If you were, the Ravens wouldn’t have targeted you” this coming from Renee, who had taken post next to Dan to control the monitors still showing the fight.

“I’m telling you, I can’t help you” Neil replied, readjusting the grip on his torn duffle bag. “I should get out of here”

“You won’t be safe out there” Coach said, halting Neil mid step. “The Ravens don’t usually go after the same target twice, but you’ve been marked and Riko seems to have a fixation on you”

Neil remembered the Blue Ranger calling the strongest of the Ravens Riko, which only served to confirm that he was indeed the Raven leader, and he also wondered briefly who exactly was behind the blue helmet. Was it Kevin? Matt? “What do you mean I’ve been marked?” he asked instead, because being marked sounded an awful lot like having a target on his back and being found, something he couldn’t afford to be. But he dismissed his own question after a second. “Well, it doesn’t matter, I won’t be staying in Palmetto anyway”

“You can’t go!” Nicky burst out with a hysterical cry. “No one else will make the red morpher work and the other Rangers need you”

“Just what the hell are you talking about? I’m not like them, I can’t do the things they do”

“Because you don’t have the morpher yet! But once you morph you’re gonna be—”

“Nicky” Coach prevented Nicky from going on a full on tirade and Neil was glad, because the things he was saying were starting to make his head spin.

“I… I don’t understand. Why me?”

“We believe the Red Fox has chosen you” Coach continued, adding to Neil’s confusion. “The Rangers get their energy and powers from the spirit of five different foxes species. So far, only four of them have been active. The spirit of the Red Fox was dormant until the moment you started working here”

“That could be a coincidence. It doesn’t mean it has to be me”

Renee made an agreeing sound, but her words weren’t any consolation. “True, but we believe the timing is a little bit too convenient, don’t you think? You said you were new in town and the Ravens have already marked you. You started working here and the Red Fox started to stir. Isn’t it worth a shot to see if you’re the person we’re hoping for?”

He had to take a moment to consider her words. While living on the run with his mother, she had always taught him that coincidences were dangerous and that most of the time there wasn’t even such a thing. When more than one stranger asked about the mother and son living in apartment 12-B, it meant they’d been found. When more than one person glanced their way in a train cart, it meant they’d been spotted. And when both Ravens and Power Rangers set their eyes on Neil within the day of arriving here, well… hadn’t he learned about coincidences enough?

“How would we know?” he asked out of curiosity and defeat.

Coach nodded towards Aaron who went off to retrieve something from a display on the wall nearby. “You touch the morpher and we see if the Red Fox awakens”

“This is insane” Neil let out, giving an involuntary step back when Aaron came back holding, for all intents and purposes, what looked like a red leather wrist cuff.

“What? More of a rabbit than a fox?”

Neil’s eyes snapped to Andrew’s, the only person in the room who hadn’t spoken a word until that moment. Seeing the hardness of his stare and recognizing it as the one he used on almost everything and everyone around him, Neil felt some of his doubts quench for a moment. Andrew wasn’t being very participant on the conversation, but he was paying attention and he’d specially kept a watchful eye on the monitors showing the fight between the Ravens and the Rangers, taking everything in stride like it was an everyday occurrence, like it was _normal_. Somehow, his apathetic attitude towards the situation made Neil feel like maybe he was overreacting, and he forced himself to take a mental step back to survey the situation through a calmer point of view.

After a moment, Nicky called his attention again, his voice adopting a pleading tone. “Just take the morpher Neil, the guys really need help. Riko doesn’t tend to get involved in the battles much and he’s a tough one to beat”

“What makes you think I can change that? What’s one more Ranger gonna solve?” Neil asked, eyeing the morpher still in Aaron’s hands with suspicion.

“You’d be surprised how much five Rangers can accomplish instead of four” Coach said and Neil couldn’t keep postponing it any longer. For all he knew, the thing wouldn’t even work on him and he could avoid worrying about it at all.

He took the morpher.

The moment his fingers made contact with the cuff, Neil felt... something.

It was like a buzzing or a humming that he couldn't be entirely sure was coming from within the morpher or within himself. It was like the sound of a heartbeat, except slower and more drawn out than usual. He placed the palm of a hand on his chest, right over his heart, and was surprised to confirm that the feeling was coming from him.

"Put it on" someone prompted and Neil felt compelled to comply.

When he fastened the morpher into his wrist, it was like coming alive for the very first time. Like waking up from the longest of sleeps to a body that somehow felt more than his own. Despite de novelty of the situation, the strangest of calmness settled over him because for the first time in a really long time, he had the feeling of being very much _not_ alone anymore.

"Wow... he looks even hotter in red"

Neil's attention was snapped back to the people staring openly at him and that's when he noticed that he was watching them through a haze of light red energy that encompased his own body. He studied himself and saw the outline of paws around his hands and feet, the rest of his body covered in the same weirdly magical furry red glow. It was like two different dimensions overlapping in the spot he was standing on and he was pretty sure that if he were to look in a mirror, he would see the shape of a glowing fox head around his own. It was the most bizarre thing he had ever seen.

After less than a minute though, the glow died down and the shape of the fox retreated back into his body. From that point onward Neil was no longer just Neil.

"We were right" Coach said when Neil's skin turned back to normal. "The Red Fox now lives in you"

Neil swallowed and regarded the older man with an openly determined expression. "What do I have to do?" he wondered briefly where his reticence had gone to and if the presence of the Fox inside him had anything to do with it.

"You will now tap into the energy of your Fox to transform into the Red Ranger. Your Fox will guide you after that"

Next to Coach, Nicky clapped his hands together in excitement. "This is so cool!"

"Emm, guys, sorry to interrupt but you should see this" Dan pointed at the main screen broadcasting the fight and they all huddled closer to take a look. Even Andrew came closer to watch the monitor though he continued to maintain himself some distance away from the group.

The Rangers were in bad shape. Every time any of them got close to Riko, the Raven would lash out with vicious talons and make them crumble to the floor. The fact they had to divide their attacks between Riko and the rest of the Ravens wasn't helping matters any. Neil could also see that each time they went down, it took them longer to get back on their feet.

When he saw Riko towering over the Blue Ranger, some of Neil's previous hesitation came back. "I'm supposed to fight that?"

"You won't be alone. Together, five Rangers can access unimaginable amounts of power"

An explosion wracked the Rangers into the air and this time, when they went down, the stayed down. "Neil, you have to hurry"

"How do I morph?"

"Press you hand over the insignia on the cuff" Dan said, mimicking the action herself. "And call out to the Foxhole Force"

Neil swallowed and took a few steps away from everyone else, but when he put a hand over the morpher, Coach signaled for him to wait. "Listen Neil, this is important: no one can know who you are. Your identity is your protection so you need to be very careful. The Ravens can't find out who you are"

For the first time since this whole ordeal started, Neil let out a smile that split his face into a dangerous grin. “I wasn't planning on it"

And then he morphed.  
  


* * *

Neil was running. He was running straight back into danger, straight back into the Ravens' grasp.

 _No one can know who you are_. If Neil wanted to lie to himself, he'd say that was the only reason he'd finally agreed to help the Rangers, the promise of anonimity, of a disguise good enough to actually hide his face from the world. But that wasn't the only reason.

The truth was, Neil felt amazing! The energy buzzing through his system was powering his synapses as much as his legs. The suit, although obnoxiously bright and tight, felt like a second skin for him and the power coursing through his veins left him almost lightheaded.

If he'd thought the awakening of the Red Fox had been a bizarre experience, it had nothing on actually morphing into a Ranger. As soon as he'd said the words, the world around him had faded away to be replaced with endless amounts of _everything_ all at once. It was empty space yet it was filled with static. It was black on end yet bursting with color. The suit had appeared out of nowhere, yet it was everywhere all at once, materializing over his body and covering him in red from head to toe. Then it had all been over and he could _feel_ it, he was aware of it as much as he was aware of his own thoughts.

His Fox.

The Red Fox, talking to him, guiding him. But it wasn't so much talking as it was _feeling_ through him and suddenly, Neil knew things he'd never known before. He knew he could take on the Ravens and he knew what they all had to do, together, to take on Riko himself.

That's not to say that, as incredible as this experience was turning out to be, he was definitely overwhelmed. He was trying to make sense of all the voices talking into his ear inside his helmet. The other Rangers were calling out to him, urging him on, and the people back at the youth center weren't helping things either.

"Neil, can you hear me alright?" Dan called and Neil nodded before realizing that she may not be able to see him yet. So he brought a hand to the side of his helmet and told her that yes, he could hear her just fine.

"How does it feel? Is it awesome? It's awesome, isn't it?"

"Nicky fuck off! We're trying to work here"

"But come on!"

"Neil, are you feeling okay?" Renee's voice asked but he didn't have time to reply.

"You're getting closer to the site" Dan warned, as if he hadn't been there less than twenty minutes ago.

"I guess we'll see if he can handle it"

" _Aaron!"_ someone chastised and Neil was too wired to try and figure out who it was.

"Neil! What are you waiting for!?" Kevin's voice was more than recognizable at this point and Neil had half a mind to snap at him and tell him to wait a fucking minute when he remembered the other Rangers may not have another minute at all.

"Yeah, come on dude!" was that Seth? It sounded like Seth.

Then Nicky's voice again. "Kick some Raven ass for us out there!"

"Guys!” he burst out. “ Maybe tone it down a little? Please?"

"No time, you're just around the corner. Good luck!" Dan replied and just like that everything went quiet. She must have turned off the mic of the centre.

Right on cue, Neil turned a corner and ran face first into the battle.

For the first time in what was probably forever, Neil's first instinct wasn't to run away from danger but to face it head on, so he barely took a moment to survey the scene before springing into action: Rangers and Ravens clashing together, sparks flying left and right, smoke coming out of the Rangers' suits, and Riko engaged in a fierce battle with Blue that Blue was really close to losing for good. Neil wasted just one more second to think he should learn which one of his coworkers was under which colored suit so he wouldn't have to keep referring to them as Blue, Green or Yellow. As it was, the Pink one was pretty much obvious by now.

When he finally made it within reaching distance of his new teammates, he jumped in front of Blue and blocked Riko’s strike with his crossed forearms. The impact was rattling but Neil held his ground and pushed his arms out, forcing Riko into taking a few steps back.

“What!?” the stunned Raven bellowed but Neil didn’t give him a chance to say anything else before punching Riko in the face once, twice, three times and jumping to perform a complicated roundhouse kick in midair, something he never would’ve been able to do if it wasn’t for the Red Fox sending all this information to his brain. He watched in awe as Riko went down and Neil fisted his gloved hands in excitement. He hadn’t realized that merging with the spirit of a Fox would give the power to turn into a freaking ninja!

He took advantage of Riko’s momentary distraction to turn around and offer Blue a hand to get back on his feet.

“Finally” was all he got in response and Neil had to roll his eyes at the impatience behind the voice even though no one could really see him. So _that_ was Kevin.

“What the hell is this!?" Riko yelled as he gathered himself again in front of Kevin and Neil. "A new Ranger?"

Neil didn't answer but Kevin, who had been favoring his right side, straightened to full height and spoke with a confident voice. "There's five of us now. So much for your plans"

Riko bared his teeth and let out a vicious snarl. "I don't care how many of you are, I'll squash you like a roach. I'll eat you like a worm"

Neil wanted to let out a retort about a bird like him eating worms and to tell him exactly where he could shove them, but he decided to remain silent. If he wanted to protect his identity, he didn't think mouthing off to Riko as the Red Ranger as close to having mouthed off to him as Neil would work in his favor. Kevin though, was all up for the challenge.

"I don't think so" and he sprung into action.

Neil had to hand it to him, Kevin was a stubborn bastard. He didn't think he'd be willing or even able to take on Riko again after being defeated so many times but still, Kevin tried. He kicked and he punched and he jumped to avoid talons and even though he must have been tired, he was holding his ground. Neil didn't know if the taller man felt motivated by his arrival or if there was some freaky magical energy bust at play here at having the five Foxes in close proximity. Strength in numbers and all that.

"Don't just stand there!" Kevin said after rolling away from Riko and regaining his footing near Neil.

Right, he thought. Time to join the fight.

Neil called to the Fox inside him and joined Kevin in the battle. Together, they launched strike after strike and were able to gain some ground on the Raven, that is, until he slashed out with his talons and managed to clip Neil on the side. He let out a surprised curse when the energy resulting from the impact had him rolling in midair and landing in a hip on the ground. Neil gasped and brought a hand to his side, but there was no blood. There was no wound. Riko's attack had felt like an electrical burn, like a current of electricity turned on to a thousand volts upon contact, but despite the momentary pain, all that was left was a tingling sensation on his skin. His suit had protected him from worse.

Neil didn’t take a moment to take a breath because he wasn’t even out of breath. The energy given to him by his morphed form was surreal and he quickly got back up to keep doing impossible maneuvers to attack Riko.

Kevin and Neil were standing side by side while they rounded on Riko, who had taken the opportunity of their assessing their next combined attack to rant at them some more, when suddenly, off to the side, a pained scream caught their attention. It was Allison, down on the ground clutching at her shoulder while crawling back away from the still advancing Raven. The thing had its talons on display and was poised to slash again. Allison didn’t seem like she was going to block it out or even find the energy to roll away from the Raven’s grasp.

“No!” Kevin yelled beside him and turned to Neil just enough to let him know he needed to handle himself on his own for a moment because there was no way he wouldn’t march towards Allison and help her fend off the Raven. Not that he actually said any of it, but Neil could read it in the posture of his body and the urgency of his yell. Neil nodded because there was nothing else he could do, because he thought the same way.

So Kevin sprinted to the side towards their downed Pink teammate but Neil didn’t get a chance to see the outcome of that particular battle because he too moved as lightning to stand between Riko and where Kevin had gone off to. The Raven leader had made as if to follow him, but Neil stood in his way. It was time to face off Riko alone.

“The Red Ranger…” Riko said, a sneer twisting his features in a way that reminded Neil of the flock of feathers he’d ripped out earlier if only because the exposed skin was still raw and ugly. Neil felt proud.

He also remained silent, true to his earlier vow, and cocked his helmeted head to the side in an assessing manner. Riko didn’t wait for the silence to be filled. “Interesting but irrelevant”

Still, no answer.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” Neil shrugged and adopted a fighting stance.

He could do this.

He could definitely do this.

Riko surged forward.

Neil could _not_ do this.

No matter how extraordinary his new ability to fight like a ninja was, Riko was ten times more powerful than him and for every lucky hit he managed to get in, he received ten in return. Fighting Riko on his own was a hundred times more difficult than fighting him with Kevin at his side and that's when he realized the Rangers wouldn't ever get the upper hand because they were stretched too thin. Four Ravens and Riko left them fighting one Ranger per Raven and apparently those odds were stacked completely against them. Neil saw the other Rangers out of the corner of his eyes. Kevin was helping Allison fend off the two Ravens she'd been battling on her own while Green and Yellow did the same on the other side. Riko and Neil were in the middle of it all and Riko was watching him with a triumphant smile on his mouth.

Neil had the sudden certainty that as long as they fought separately, the Rangers didn't stand a chance.

_Together, five Rangers can access unimaginable amounts of power._

Those had been Coach's words. _Together, together_.

 _Your Fox will guide you_... an echo of his boss' words resonated inside his brain and Neil concentrated on the presence inside him. They had to change tactics if they wanted a different outcome than being pushed to the ground again and again and again.

 _What do I do?_ He asked his Fox and hoped the urgency in his mind was enough to prompt the Fox to give him an answer.

But he couldn't sit and wait patiently for one because Riko leapt into action once more and Neil was forced once again to engage in a battle he was destined to loose. Riko was strong, Riko was fast and to top it all of, Riko had _wings_ , which he decided to use for the first time that day to stay out of Neil's reach while diving to attack him at every opportunity.

It wasn't until Neil landed on his right side after a particularly hard shove that he remembered the holster strapped to the belt of his suit.

Riko was in the sky circling directly above him, and gaining altitude before folding his wings and coming down towards him like a hawk aiming for its prey. Neil reacted on instinct. He took the weapon out and fired directly at Riko's face.

The Raven screeched much like he'd done when Neil had ripped his feathers off, but he didn't stick around to see Riko veer off course and crash into the ground. As soon as he'd fired his weapon, Neil was up and running towards the other Rangers. Suddenly, he knew what they had to do.

He stepped in front of Green to shoot another Raven in the face and turned around to latch into the broader Ranger's wrist and pull him along towards Seth.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked out of breath and even though he pulled out of Neil's hold, he didn't stop running beside him.

They made it to Seth, who was fighting his Raven in a blur of yellow and black and, together, the three of them managed to kick the Raven into an unsteady stumble. They took advantage of the distraction to make their way towards Allison and Kevin.

Neil had yet to utter a single word, but he was glad neither Seth nor Matt were wasting time making him explain what he had in mind. Neil was also a little put out by how quickly they'd followed. When they made it to the rest of their team, Neil was keenly aware of the sound of the Ravens recovering from their momentary defeat, Riko included, and he knew they didn't have much time.

When all five Rangers were together, they stood in formation side by side while the Ravens mimicked their positions, Riko occupying the middle one just as Neil was in the middle of his group. It must have been a comical sight, him being the shortest of the Rangers, breaking the outline of their formation while Riko was the tallest, his body sticking out a full head above the rest of the Ravens. There was nothing comical about the stand off though.

"Take out your guns" Neil murmured in a low yet urgent voice so only the Rangers could hear him. He also drew his weapon again.

"There not _guns_ , they're blasters"

Neil glared at Kevin ineffectively through his visor. "Just get them out!" he whisper-yelled and was relieved to notice everyone else was doing as he'd said. He was pretty sure Kevin must have rolled his eyes at him but he got his _blaster_ out too, so Neil didn't really care.

Neil stared ahead at the Ravens again though his words were directed at his team. "Together. We use our blasters together and we finish them off"

"We've done that before" Seth said, his words doubtful though the grip on his blaster was secure.

"Not all of us though" Matt supplied, catching on to Neil's plan.

"There's a reason you needed the Red Fox" Neil said, growing more confident with every word and feeling emboldened by the support of his Fox. "Just follow my lead" he finished and pointed his blaster at the sky. To his relief, everyone else did the same.

Forgetting about how stupid the whole thing might look like and disregarding any lingering doubts that this might not even work at all, Neil tapped into the energy of the Foxes' spirits and called out to the world. "Foxes Blast!"

Thunder rolled in the clouds above their heads, the atmosphere was charged with electricity around them. Five colored energy beams shot down from the sky to connect with each blaster until Neil felt his weapon trembling in his hand. He could tell everyone felt the same.

With another loud cry, he gave the order to attack.

"Now!"

All the Rangers brought their weapons down, somehow bringing the energy beams with them and pulling on the triggers the moment the blasters were pointed at the Ravens. The explosion that followed was unprecedented and Neil only had time to see the surprise in Riko's widened eyes before they all disappeared from view in a display of fire and sparks.

"Holly shit!" someone yelled while someone else whooped.

Neil’s heart was pounding in his ears in a mixture of excitement, adrenalin and a lingering feeling of static energy running through his skin.

 _Thank you_ , he told his Fox, _for telling me what to do_. And he felt a quiet hum at the back of his mind as aknowledgement.

He lowered his blaster slowly as the Rangers around him continued to celebrate in awe after finally landing a good enough hit on the Ravens. As it was, Neil only had eyes for the receding smoke and the place where the Ravens had been mere seconds ago. When the smoke cleared compeletely, he was surprised to see four charred spots on the ground, the combined attack of their blasters strong enough to vaporize four of the Ravens. What wasn't a surprise at all though, was seeing Riko still alive and standing though clearly struggling to remain upright. His face was bleeding and one of his wings was clipped. Smoke continued to come out of his skin and Neil felt a strong surge of satisfaction at seeing the Raven leader like that.

"You may have new tricks up your sleeve" Riko croaked out while levelling each Ranger with a murdering glare. "But this war is far from over"

"Fuck off, Raven" Allison spat, clearly dismissing him as if he was any other Raven, as if he wasn't the King of their nest.

"Kevin!" Riko bellowed instead of acknowledging Allison. Neil’s heart lurched because weren’t their identities supposed to be protected? What if Riko actually knew who he was? What if no matter how much the suit covered his entire body, other people might still _know_ who he was? What if his father— “Don’t forget what you are”

Riko interrupted Neil’s sudden spiral and he noticed Kevin stiffening by his side. But no one said anything as Riko sprung his wings and took off, slightly off kilter, to fly away from them and lick his wounds in private.

Finding themselves alone, something unwound in all of the Rangers’s bodies. Some of them sagged in relief and others did in exhaustion. Neil though, he was still wired enough to turn incredulous eyes on Kevin.

“He knows you?” he asked, and Kevin let out a tired sigh before going over to Allison and asking if she was alright. She was the one who had been fighting two Ravens at once for a while and Neil remembered her clutching her shoulder unable to get away from one of them.

“Riko only knows my identity” he explained while Allison waved him off, assuring him she was fine.

“Can’t he know everyone else’s by association?”

This time it was Matt who answered. “He hasn’t figured it out so far. You were amazing by the way!”

“Even I have to admit that was something” Seth added. “Our blasters have never worked like that before”

Suddenly, Coach’s voice reached all of their ears. “That’s what happens when you put together five hotheads like you. Now get your asses back here. You did a good job”

Neil couldn’t actually see anyone else’s face, but he gathered they were all smiling proudly at the praise from their boss.

“Aren’t you glad we hired you now?” Allison asked Neil and he blew her off before starting his way back to the youth center.  
  


* * *

“… and then Neil was like ‘ _Take your guns out!_ ’ and, I mean, he called them guns, but anyway we pointed them to the sky and Neil went all ‘ _Foxes Blast and fry your brains birdshits!’_ and the Ravens didn’t even know what hit them!”

“We know Matt, we saw” Dan replied from her chair by the monitors as everyone else gathered around the Rangers, who had just arrived back from the battle.

Coach had welcomed them with another metaphorical pat on the shoulders while the others congratulated them and talked about the awesome new power Neil’s addition to the team had unlocked. For his part, Neil didn’t really know what to do with all the attention.

He also felt like an intruder in the group’s dynamics. As soon as they’d stepped foot back into this room, everyone had migrated together to make sure they were all alright. Matt had perched himself by Dan’s side, Nicky and Renee went over to greet Seth while Aaron made his way towards Allison and Kevin. Andrew still kept himself appart, though his posture was less guarded than it had been before. Neil would even venture he looked relieved that everyone was back more or less alright. They were all tired, but they were unharmed.

One by one, the Rangers began to transform back out of their suits and Neil was finally able to see the others’ faces. Seth’s expression was smug, Matt’s was excited. He was pretty sure Kevin’s expression was wired to look serious all the time and Allison’s was quietly fierce. Then he caught eye of Coach watching him intently and that’s when Neil remembered he was still wearing his suit.

“Umm… how do I change back?” he asked no one in particular and everyone let out a soft chuckle at his words.

“Touch your morpher’s insignia and say ‘ _Power down’_ ” answered Matt with an amused smile.

Neil studied his wrist and even though he couldn’t see or even feel the cuff under his gloved arms, he knew the morpher was still there somehow, so he clasped a hand around his wrist and whispered the words to himself. The world tilted on its axis for a second before Neil found himself back in his clothes looking like any other regular human being, like he hadn’t just spent almost an hour battling supernatural creatures while wearing red spandex all over his body.

“Wow” someone gasped and Neil lifted his gaze to see everyone staring openly at him.

“What?”

“I didn’t know the Red Fox could do that” Dan replied unhelpfully.

Everyone’s wondered stare was starting to grate on his nerves, so Neil returned their stare with a glare and clenched teeth. “Do what?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Allison said and produced a phone out of nowhere, opening the camera app on selfie mode and passing the device to Neil.

He almost dropped it out of shock.

Before he’d morphed into the Red Ranger, Neil’s hair had been covered in dark brown dye and his eyes were concealed behind colored contacts. Now, the real icy shade of blue on his eyes was staring back at him from the screen of the phone and the auburn of his hair stood out against his skin so much it might as well be the same color as his suit.

Neil looked back up, trying to find an excuse for what had happened and for a moment, his eyes locked on Andrew’s, who was leaning sideways against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest and a half smirk on his lips. It was the first time Neil had actually seen something resembling amusement in his face and Neil swallowed the urge to grab his things and run. His disguise had been torn out and he didn’t know how he was supposed to stay after that.

“So what, Neil’s Fox changed his appearance? For what?” Aaron asked.

“That didn’t happen to any of us” Seth said.

“I don’t think the Fox changed the rabbit’s appearance at all” said Andrew after that, making everyone turn to him in surprise at his joining the conversation.

“You’re saying this is how Neil really looks like?” Aaron asked Andrew before turning back to Neil. “So what were you doing, hiding in plain sight?”

Neil didn’t think the question was actually meant to be answered, not that he could’ve anyway, with how tight his throat was getting, so he resolved to stare down at his shoes while more questions followed Aaron’s lead.

While everyone pondered on how or why the transformation had burned through his disguise, Neil was quietly freaking out in the privacy of his own mind while at the same time feeling a small sense of betrayal at the presence now living inside him.

Why did he have to be exposed like this? For a moment there, while he’d been inmersed in battle with the other Rangers at his side, and even before that, when he’d first merged with the spirit of the Red Fox, Neil had actually considered staying.

Outside of this, outside of Palmetto and everything that had happened today, Neil had nothing. The last hope of finding his mother was here, the strange group of people that had opened the doors of their workplace for him were here, the sudden new presence inside him was tied to this place and the chance to belong somewhere, to finally be a part of something, was _here_. But how could he stay when he’d interacted with so many people already? How could stay when not only had he stumbled into someone else’s war, but actually taken an active role in it? How could he stay here when he looked _just like him_?

“I… I should… It’s not…”

He didn’t know how to begin, he didn’t know how he could explain. They wouldn’t want a liar in their ranks, they were the good guys, right? Neil wasn’t a good guy, he was never meant to be one. Neil didn’t even exist. He was a fraud. A lie. A nobody.

He was nothing.

“I can’t do this” he finally let out and he slid the cuff out of his wrist. Some of them gasped and one of them might have even been him, because the moment he took the morpher off, a deep empty hole was almost palpable inside his heart.

“Neil—”

But Neil shook his head and extended the morpher towards Coach. “I’m not cut out for this job. You’re gonna have to find someone else”

“The Fox has chosen you. It won’t work on someone else”

“It’s gonna have to! Because I don’t want it” Neil burst out, barely able to control his panic now because despite his words, he didn’t think he’d ever wanted anything as bad as he wanted this. As it was his luck though, the world had offered him something he just knew he couldn’t keep. “Find someone else and while you’re at it, find another janitor. I can’t stay here”

Allison let out an indignant sound and Neil genuinely felt bad about what he was doing. Silence settled heavily over the room and Neil was silently begging Coach with his eyes to just take the damn morpher so he could grab his bag and kiss Palmetto and everyone inside it goodbye, but as reluctant as Coach was to step forward and take the cuff, so was Neil of actually let it go.

“We know how to keep a secret, you know?” Nicky’s statement broke the silence and Neil’s panicked eyes searched Nicky’s face, who was signaling the whole room around them as if to prove his point.

“You don’t understand”

“You can tell us, or not, if you don’t want to” someone else added.

“Remember what I explained to you about the Foxhole Court?” Allison asked, giving him the gentlest expression he’d ever seen on her face. “Our job is to give second chances, no questions asked, and we take care of our own”

Then Coach delivered the final blow. “This is a safe place and with the Fox, not only will you be able to protect yourself, but all the Foxes will be there for you. We’re a team. Rangers and not Rangers. We’re all foxes”

Neil was at a loss for words.

Suddenly the memory that had been unlocked earlier came hurtling to the front of his mind. He’d pushed it away in lieu of facing the revelation that not only did he work with the Power Rangers but he was supposed to become one of them. But now that the excitement had died down to be replaced by panic, his mother’s voice came back full force inside his brain.

_Palmetto doesn’t exist. The Power Rangers don’t exist. Don’t ever mention that place again._

Except the Power Rangers did exist, and now Neil was one of them and hadn’t he been the one to ask his mother if the Rangers could help them take down his father? So what if he went back to looking like him? If his father ever found him, he was a Ranger now. If he could take on a creature like Riko, why couldn’t he let the Red Fox protect him from his father as well?

Neil went back to looking at everyone’s faces. They might have been curious, but they weren’t openly hostile. Not even Andrew’s, who Neil was still a little surprised to see displaying the unhidden amusement in his features. He remember the adrenalin coursing through his body, the way they’d taken down the Ravens as a team. He remembered the guidance of his Fox and he ached to feel its presence again.

With a resigned sigh, Neil put on the cuff again.

He felt it immediately, the hum in his chest, the heartbeat alongside his own. The Red Fox was pleased that he’d decided to take him back.

Coach then finally stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “Welcome to the Foxhole Force”

People grinned at him and he allowed himself the luxury of their joy. They were happy he was there and for a moment, he allowed himself to be happy about it too.

“Besides, where else would we find another janitor that actually gets along with the monster?” Allison asked.

Neil chuckled half heartedly and stole a glance Andrew’s way. If he’d been bothered by the comment, he wasn’t showing it. Instead he was piercing Neil with a look that had gone from amused to downright predatory. Neil didn’t know what to make of that, so he simply shrugged and replied to Allison’s words.

“He’s not that bad”

Seth snorted. “Give him time”

Again, Andrew wasn’t even acknowledging these comments, so Neil decided to do the same.

After a while, Coach dismissed them all and Neil fought his way tooth and nails out of a dinner invitation from the girls, Seth and Matt to celebrate his joining the team, but it had been an incredibly stressful day and he needed some peace and quiet.

* * *

By the time he finally made it to the motel, Neil was already regretting not going out to dinner with the rest of the group, because the longer he was alone with his thoughts, the more his mother’s memory threatened to send him right back on autopilot so he could fall back to old habits. Alone in his room, there was no one to tell him how safe he was in Palmetto. No one even really knew what he was running away from so how could he listen to them?

But then he stepped into the bathroom to take a shower and he caught his reflection in the mirror. To see his natural features back after so long toning them down, Neil felt a sudden spike in his panic. His eyes were locked on the icy blue in the mirror and he had to remember to take a breath at some point. Staring back at him from the mirror wasn’t only his father, but Nathaniel as well. The boy he’d tried to leave behind and bury so deep inside himself that seeing him now was almost as bad as seeing his father in the flesh.

He blinked and his reflection changed from Nathaniel to Neil to his father, back to Nathaniel and then his father again, until suddenly a flash of bright red made him gasp and he saw the outline of a Fox encompasing his whole being. He remembered the moment he put on the morpher and the Red Fox woke from its slumber.

Seeing that again in the mirror now, Neil was confronted with the same realization he’d had then: he was no longer alone. He was no longer just Neil.

He was the Red Ranger now and underneath it all, the suit, the auburn hair and the blue eyes, he was one with the Red Fox.

Neil stared into the Fox’s eyes and his panic receded as quickly as it had begun. If anyone came looking for them, they would fight back and they would do so as one.

  
  


**_Next episode: What it takes to be a leader  
  
_ **

_**Bonus image:** The Foxhole Force logo._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... that concludes the pilot for this season and sets the stage for the other 18 episodes to follow.
> 
> Do you guys wanna guess as to how things are gonna play out from now on in the story? Any ideas? Comments? I’d love to know your thoughts on what’s happened so far :D
> 
> About the pictures:  
> 1) The Ranger’s morphers are as simple as they can get because I’m not creative enough artistically speaking to make up something more complicated, but I hope it’s enough to full fil their purpose.  
> 2) The Foxhole Force logo was inspired on the logo of the Power Rangers Dino Thunder, but I changed it up a little bit to make the paw print fit a fox instead of a dinosaur.
> 
> Also, a question: I usually don’t write specific warnings for every chapter since I make them pretty clear on the tags, but if that’s something you’d like me to do, let me know. I just don’t want to give away any spoilers by pointing them out as warnings at the beginning of the chapter.  
> Unless there’s a specific request from you guys or an episode that deals with really graphic stuff (besides the violent fights between the Rangers and Ravens) then I won’t be warning every episode.
> 
> Also, I realize there wasn’t much Andrew in this episode but I promise he’s gonna be very much present in every episode after this. Still, I think his only two lines in dialogue were kind of fulled with his presence, don’t you think? The rabbit question and all?
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the long notes and see you on the next episode!


	3. What it takes to be a leader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a new episode of The Foxhole Force.  
> Even though you’ll read about this on the end notes, I want to drop you the link for my new Tumblr account where you’ll find some extra content for this fic specifically (and updates about my other story too). You’ll get updates, exclusive previews, fanart and extra scenes of things that happen between episodes but don’t make it into the fic for reasons.  
> I’d also love to answer your questions if you have any and just simply interact more with my readers.  
> Thank you to everyone who’s commented and left kudos on this story. I’m really excited about this project and about sharing it all with you. So see you on Tumblr?? 🙌🏼😇

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_After finding out his coworkers at the Foxhole Court were actually the Power Rangers, Neil got roped into the team when he merged with the spirit of the Red Fox, becoming thus the new Red Power Ranger. The Rangers fought as a team of five for the first time and unlocked the power of their blasters, managing to destroy some of Riko’s Ravens and sending Riko himself crawling back to his Nest. Despite trying to refuse the responsibility, Neil chose to accept it and stay in the city long enough to join the battle against the Ravens._

**S1 E3: What it takes to be a leader**

* * *

"Neil! You busy? Good, I could use you"

Kevin didn't even let Neil take a breath before he was ushering him towards the courts.

"He does have work to do" Andrew's voice reached them as they neared the door of the locker room. Neil had just arrived at the Foxhole Court for his shift and he and Andrew had been in the process of gathering the cleaning carts. But Andrew's stern voice made Kevin stop his advances to answer back at him.

"And part of his job is helping coaches when they need it"

Neil disentangled himself from Kevin's grasp and turned suspicious eyes on him. "What exactly do you need help with?"

"Exy practice"

Neil reeled back at the mention of exy.

It was Saturday morning, his first weekend working at the Foxhole Court and merely twelve hours after the events of the night before: turning into the Red Power Ranger to help the rest of the team defeat the Ravens.

That morning he'd woken up wondering if it hadn't all just been one seriously messed up dream, but the cuff still on his wrist and the presence of the Red Fox humming underneath his very own being let him know that he hadn't made any of it up. It had happened. It was real.

He'd barely been in Palmetto for a week and already his life had changed in unimaginable ways. He'd let himself be targetted by supernatural creatures, he'd stood up to said creatures and he'd agreed to stay in the city despite the danger. Despite his features changing back to the way they were supposed to be. He'd already disregarded all of his mother's rules, but exy? He could not go there.

Neil shook his head and took a step back into the locker room. "I have bathrooms to clean"

"Nonsense. Andrew can handle that"

"But—"

"No buts. This _is_ part of your job"

Neil caught Andrew's eyes looking curiously and intensely back at him. The blond short man wasn't in the business of paying much attention to him, or anyone else for that matter, so Neil felt the familiar terror of being noticed raising the hairs at the back of his neck. What Neil would've liked to do, what he should have done, was keep his head down. This was not the time to be making a scene because of exy. It was enough that everyone on the team knew he was hiding something, they didn't need to find out so soon, or at all, who he really was and playing exy was a damn good first step into figuring that out. Making a scene though, was sure to get him noticed, as proven by Andrew's fixed stare on him.

In the end, nothing was more important than staying away from the court. "Make Andrew help you"

Kevin huffed with annoyance. "He hates exy"

"What?" Neil asked with genuine surprise in his voice and returning Andrew's attention with his own. "Why?"

What he really wanted to ask was how could anyone hate exy? What was not to like about that sport? The adrenalin rush, the precision and level of skill needed, even the aggressiveness of it was exhilirating. The freedom to run and the separation from the rest of the world once the court doors are locked. But then again, he was probably judging the whole sport through his eyes and feelings only. Still, he could understand someone not liking the sport but downright hating it? He'd never be able to wrap his mind around that.

"Because" Andrew said. Neil kept looking at him, waiting for him to finish explaining his reasons but after a short while, it was clear the blond wouldn't offer anything else.

To his surprise, Kevin adderessed him with the same amount of horror Neil was feeling inside. "Don't tell me you hate exy too?"

"No! I..." he _should_ hate it. That's what his mother had always tried to instill in him after they'd gone on the run, and apparently hating exy was the get away free card around here, but damn if he couldn't even bring himself to say the words.

"Then why don't you want to help? I just need an extra hand for the right number of players for a scrimmage"

"Yes, do tell, why won't you help?" this time, Andrew's tone was clearly mocking and Neil found himself selfconsciously blushing at both Kevin and Andrew scrutinazing his reasons.

"Because" he parroted after a minute of debating what to say, throwing Andrew's dismissive answer back at him. The blond wasn't quick enough to hide the half smirk on his lips, though the smile wasn't so much amused as it was predatory.

"Issues, Kevin. Our new Red Rabbit has issues"

Neil glared at him but before he could let out the offensive reply he had in mind, Kevin impatiently urged him towards the door again.

"We don't have time for issues. Everyone else is busy and I know Andrew won't help. You're the only one left. It's just a two hour practice and then you can get back to your exciting job as a janitor. Remember when I said helping coaches was part of your job? Well, you don't really have much of a choice" Neil didn't have time to interrupt the taller man by pointing out that if Andrew had a choice then why the hell couldn't he too? But the man was on a tirade and Neil would've been surprised if he was even breathing at all through his words. "And what the hell are your issues with exy anyway? You can't have issues against sports in general because you helped with basketball the other day and you told me you like sports so what is it about exy specifically that makes you have issues?"

"For fuck's sake" Neil let out after Kevin, sick of hearing the word issues and taken aback by the amount of questions thrown his way. Kevin wasn't even winded.

"Dude, just... let's go, I'm late already as it is"

Neil sighed. Maybe if he got it over with then this would be just a one time thing. Except he knew that if he succumbed to the temptation, he could never make it a one time deal.

"Urgh, fine"

"Great! Let's go"

* * *

Fuck.

_Fuck!_

Holding an exy racket felt so good.

Kevin had squared him away with some protective gear and a practice racket and now Neil was standing in the middle of an exy court for the first time in over ten years.

It was surreal.

It was also enlightening.

Neil was standing awkwardly behind Kevin while the taller man introduced him to the kids of the exy team. Actually, kids was a bit far fetched seeing as the people on the court were old enough, and tall enough, to be around Neil's own age.

Kevin had explained that, unlike the basketball or volleyball teams, exy kids got separated into different practice groups according to their age. It made sense, since putting up a ten year old against a sixteen year old on such an aggressive sport could only lead to disastrous consequences, but it also made having full teams on the court a challenge because the youth centre's primary objective wasn't, in fact, recruiting athletes. On one hand, Neil was glad there weren't that many kids that played exy living in unstable situations, but on the other hand it did make practicing harder. It also made Neil have to step in and fill the void and he was equal parts crossed and excited about it.

Another thing that was eye-opening? Kevin knew what he was talking about. From the moment he met him, Neil had pegged him as an arrogant, self centered know-it-all, what with the chess piece tattooed on his cheek and his challenging words about being good at sports. Learning he was also a Power Ranger hadn't helped change Neil's first impression either, but now that he was listening to him talk about exy, a sport apparently they both loved, Neil could appreciate the confidence with which he spoke.

"We'll run some of these new drills before taking shots at the goal. After that, we'll do scrimmages. The last half hour we'll work on correcting faults individually. Remember, you're the right age for college scouts to start taking notice so work hard on the skills you haven't mastered yet and push yourselves to do better. No matter how good you already are, there's always room for improvement"

The group of players nodded silently and scattered around to begin the drills but Neil waited a moment before following his designated partners. "Do they actually play games against other people? How do they get scouted?"

He was curious. Seeing as the other sports at the centre didn't even bother to classify teams by age, he'd assumed no one ever participated on actual matches. Was there a league that allowed such missmatched teams of players?

"This is the older exy group agewise that we have and we managed to enroll them in a local league last year. They didn't rank in the top teams but they were good enough to get noticed. Colleges also know we exist because Coach makes a point to keep in touch with them. He sends their files if he thinks there's someone worth spotting, so scouts know they have an available talented pool of kids right here, and not only on the exy team. For a lot of the kids, that's the only opportunity they'll have to go to college, get a degree. I think the arrangement works out pretty well. I also try to prepare them as best as I can. The best I could ever do for them is point out what they're doing wrong and teach them how to do it right"

Who knew Kevin was so talkative? Neil was also impressed by how passionate he was about his work.

"That's good, I guess"

"Yes, now less chit chat and more playing. You're taking time off Nina and McKenzie"

Neil rolled his eyes but did as he was told. 

At the beginning of practice, Neil had been worried about his performance since it’d been so many years without even picking up a racket, but by the time the first round of drills was over, he’d already gotten the hang of it back. After a while, he also noticed Kevin’s attention on him, but another thing the sport hadn’t changed for him was the way he could just disconnect from the world and not worry about anything other than the next pass, the next tackle and the next goal. He didn’t mind Kevin scrutinizing his game, or lifting his eyebrows in surprise when he made a particularly complicated feet dance to avoid a backliner or to block a striker himself. Neil had only ever played as a backliner, but he was finding he liked taking shots at goal as much as the next guy over.

Yes, running around in his little bubble of exy excitement, Neil noticed Kevin’s attention but he didn’t _care_. So what if he got noticed? He was playing exy! In fact, every time Kevin looked even a little impressed by his skills, Neil felt the smug weight of satisfaction fueling his next play.

During a water break, McKenzie took off her helmet and joined him. “Dude, why not just go ahead and join the team? You’re awesome!”

Neil panted inside his own helmet and fought to keep the smile off his face. “I’m just giving Kevin a hand. I’m too old to play with you”

McKenzie was at least a head taller than him, with her hair dyed in a mixture of black and green and her mascara was starting to paint the underside of her eyes black because of the sweat. She was also built enough to make Neil suspect she spent a lot of time in the gym, but despite looking like she could be spending her time intimidating people for fun, her voice was easy going and her stance was unguarded. For a brief moment, Neil wondered what could be going on in her life for her to end up doing sports at the youth centre instead of playing for her own school team. Did she even go to school?

Neil also found himself hoping she was able to find the solace in exy he was once able to enjoy too.

“Well, fell free to join us any time”

They went back to scrimmages after that.

“You lied” Kevin said while everyone shed their gear after practice and a younger group of players began piling up at the door waiting to be let inside the court.

Neil stiffened at the words. Being caught on a lie usually meant playing in the line between getting recognized and being hunted for it.

“What do you mean?” he asked, feigning nonchalance.

“You said you’d never done sports beyond P.E., but you don’t just pick up a racket and play like that without some sort of training to back that up. So where did you learn?”

This is why he shouldn’t have shown off. “Nowhere, just school. I guess I’m just good with sports in general? I told you that”

“But the way you played… have you ever considered—?”

“I can shower in the staff’s locker room right? I don’t want to have to work the rest of the day like this” he said, interrupting Kevin mid-sentence and signaling the sweaty red curls plastered over his forehead.

“Yes”

“Awesome”

“Neil—”

“Bye Kevin!”

And he stepped off the court faster than he’d ever done.

After he showered and put on a different version of his uniform, Allison turning out to be right after all, he went looking for Andrew, cleaning cart in hand.

He found the blond man at the gym.

“Hi Neil!” he glanced to the side and nodded shyly at the person running on one of the treadmills. He recognized him as one of the guys he’d just had practice with.

It took a moment for him to remember that it was okay for people to recognize him and say hi to him inside the Foxhole Court because he worked there and he had to see these people every day and he’d decided to stay here despite everything that had happened and it was probably safe for a sixteen year old boy to say hi to him inside a gym. Probably.

It was still nerve wracking though, specially because he hadn’t even had remotely enough time to get used to his new look. New and yet so, so old. That morning, when he’d seen his reflection in the mirror, he’d had the completely justified impulse of going to the nearest convenience store, buy a set of hair dye and dye his hair back to the familiar and safe dark brown it had been before. But he also had the feeling the spirit of the Red Fox living inside him right now wouldn’t be very pleased with the idea, mainly because said Fox had sent a jolt through his system at the thought of disguising his features again. But he’d decided to set the matter aside to be analyzed later, when he wasn’t running late for work.

“Back so soon?” Neil jumped when Andrew’s voice sounded close to his ear. He’d lost sight of him for a moment and the blond had taken the opportunity to sneak up on him from behind.

But as soon as Andrew had appeared, he took a wide step away from him. “Yeah”

“Already played exy to your heart’s content… or discontent?”

Andrew sounded… off. If Neil hadn’t known him through the previous week to be absolutely apathetic about everything, he would even dare to say he sounded taunting.

“Sure” he replied carefully, not really knowing how to talk to Andrew when the other boy was in the mood to use his words. “I was looking for you actually”

“Oh, do tell”

“Did you do the bathrooms or the locker rooms?” Neil figured if he hurried and did his part quickly, he could make it to the first lunch shift. He was famished.

Andrew didn’t miss a beat. “Neither”

“What have you done all this time then?”

Neil watched incredulously as Andrew untangled his arms from around his chest and gestured around them at the small gym that currently held the two of them talking near the entrance, the guy that had greeted Neil by the treadmill and a teenage girl working out by the mirrors with a jump rope.

“Two hours just for the gym?”

Andrew shrugged. “Some people use the time to play exy, others use it to leave all the bathrooms and locker rooms for other people to clean”

“Oookay” Petty much? Neil thought. “Kevin was right, you know? Helping him is part of our job” he made sure to include him in the sentence as well because Andrew could just as easily be summoned by someone else to help out on the courts and Neil would’t hold it against him. It wasn’t Neil’s fault Andrew seemed to have a personal vendetta against exy.

“And Kevin is always right, of course”

Again, Neil was put out by the tone of Andrew’s voice. What was his problem? “Whatever. I’ll do the bathrooms”

He turned around and pushed his cart out of the gym but Andrew’s chirp tone made him look back at him with confusion on his face.

“Work the cafeteria together after lunch?”

Neil frowned. Not only was it weird for him to ask since they always did the cafeteria together, but the look Andrew gave him then, as if he was actually looking forward to it, had all the hackles raising at the back of his neck.

“Umm… yeah. See you there”

“Yes. See. You. There”

Right. Because that wasn’t weird at all.

* * *

Neil made it to lunch in time to eat with Kevin, Nicky and Aaron. 

The moment he joined the other three at the table, Neil could tell Kevin wanted to bring up the subject of that morning's practice, so he did the only thing he could to keep the conversation off that particular track, which meant, unfortunately, having to actively participate in said conversation.

"So how does it work?" he asked, not really having to feign interest but making himself sound engaged.

"What does?" Aaron asked back.

"Being a Power Ranger and working here"

"Keep your voice down!" Kevin yelled in a whisper and the four of them brought their faces close to the table at Kevin's request.

Neil looked around them before humoring him. Being Saturday, the youth centre and the cafeteria were more packed than usual. In Neil's experience, the advantage of that would be too much noise from other people's chatter, so there was no risk of being overheard. "No one's paying attention"

"Do you know what would happen if anyone here found out who we are?"

"I'm not asking for you to scream at the top of your lungs, I just want to know more about it. How did it all begin? When did you guys become Power Rangers? How do you balance it with your jobs? Who was the first to join? Who exactly is Riko and what the hell does he want?"

Next to him, Nicky let out an amused snort. "World dominaton, obviously"

"Seriously?" Aaron asked his cousin with a raised eyebrow.

"What? That's what they always want"

"Yeah, in the movies"

Neil let them go at it for about a minute before interrupting. "Guys... get back on topic?"

"Right. Sorry"

Then Neil looked expectantly back at Kevin. He'd been dying to ask about these things all morning but between exy practice and whatever happened with Andrew at the gym, he hadn't had a chance.

The Red Fox knew about his curiosity, and it was more than that really. It was the strongest need to know because he was navigating such uncharted waters his anxiety levels hadn't gone down since the day before. But as much as the Fox had been communicating with him since the moment they'd bonded, the communication happened through feelings and there was only so much a spirit could answer without actually speaking. The Fox had made him feel secure and confident enough to keep any panicked response out of his system, because the Fox actually knew both what was happening and what to do about it. Neil, on the other hand, still had no freaking clue.

The taller man finally caved in with an exhasperated sigh.

"We'd need more than fifteen minutes to explain everything so pick your questions. And keep it down"

Neil thought about it for a minute and decided to start with something simple and then work his way up after that.

"So, are you like... the Blue Fox?" everyone around him laughed like he'd said the funniest of jokes, something he didn't even know how to do.

"It's the Swift Fox, not the Blue Fox. And I am not the Fox, the Fox lives in me. There's a difference"

"So the other Foxes are not colored Foxes?"

Kevin rolled his eyes as if he was trying to explain a complex mathematical equation to a five year old. "Each Fox spirit represents a fox species. Your Fox isn't the Red Fox because you're the Red Ranger. That's mainly a coincidence. My Fox is the Swift Fox. Allison's got the Corsac, Seth has the Blanford and Matt has the Kit Fox. Together, they make up the Foxhole Force by channeling into the morphing grid"

"What is that anyway?"

"The morphin grid? I thought I told you to pick your questions carefully. There's no way you can understand what the morphing grid is in... ten minutes now" he said, checking the time on his phone.

"Fine. What does Riko want?"

"We don't know for sure. All we know is that ever since he showed up at Palmetto, he's been after certain people to turn into his most powerful Ravens. We believe he wants to build a perfect army with them"

Neil didn't like the sound of that. "What for?"

"World domination, I'm telling ya" Nicky supplied smugly and Aaron didn't miss the chance to get him back.

"Right, because if someone's gonna take over the world, they're gonna start by coming to Palmetto"

After the memory of his mother panicking in the car had been unlocked in his brain, Neil had no problem recalling it with a scary amount of detail. He remembered how desperate his mother had been for him to forget about Palmetto City, to never mention it again. And then there was the way the name of the city had been crossed off in the binder. Somehow, that Riko had decided to start his world domination by conquering Palmetto first should sound like an unfortunate coincidence, but Neil didn't really believe in those anymore, did he? His merely being here and working at the Foxhole Court as both a janitor and a superhero was proof enough of that.

"How many Ravens does he have?" he asked next, keeping the subject of his mother and the search for her all to himself. If anything, Neil could almost make himself believe he'd stayed at Palmetto because, after everything, recovered memory included, this was still the best and only chance left to find his mother.

Kevin not so subtly ignored his question by focusing back on his lunch, but Aaron was quick to fill in the silence. "Well... there are Ravens, and then there are _Ravens_ "

Nicky looked thrilled to join the conversation once more. "Yeah. Ravens? He's got a bunch of those. But, _Ravens_? Now those are tricky"

"What does that even mean?"

"He wants a perfect army, remember? That means the perfect combination between human and Raven. All the strength of a Raven combined with all the wits of a human"

Aaron and Nicky went back to bickering about how much wit did Riko really have, but Neil didn't care to add his opinion. Riko seemed pretty witty to him, and strong. Really, really strong.

"So that's why he wants me then, to make me into a Raven"

"Yes, but now that you're one of us, he's gonna have to find another victim" if Neil felt a flicker of gratitude and belonging sparking within his chest, no one needed to know about it and, besides, he could always blame it on the Fox.

"Can't he just grab random people from the street and build his army?"

Aaron shook his head. "He can't have just anyone. Just anyone turns into regular Ravens. He needs certain people for his special army"

"I don't understand"

"He tasted your blood, right? And gave you a wound on the cheek?" it was Kevin who asked, bringing himself back into the conversation though he looked gloomier than Neil had ever seen him. The redhead also brought a hand to his face and lightly touched the spot where a week ago Riko had left a mark with his talon. He nodded. "Well, that means he marked you. He needs to taste people's blood to see if they have what it takes"

"What it takes to be a killer?"

Kevin shrugged and looked down at his plate again. "Who knows"

He decided to move away from the subject of Riko and brought the conversation back to safer topics, at least for Kevin. There was a story there, Neil could see it, but the taller man had already indulged him enough. So he went back to his original question.

"How does it work then? You —us, being Rangers and the youth centre and everything"

Nicky proudly answered before anyone else could do it. "That's what we're here for! When they get called on a mission, we step up and cover for them on the court. Guess now you won't have to sub for the coaches since you'll be in on all the action too"

"Right" was it just him or did Nicky sound the slightest bit jelous?

But then Neil had to reign in his questions when a little boy approached their table reluctantly.

"Aaron?" he didn't look older than twelve but he was making himself seem small on purpose.

"Colin"

"I don't feel so good"

Neil was surprised by how quickly Aaron turned in his seat to stare the kid up and down, evaluating him. "What is it?"

Even Neil could tell the problem was the boy's stomach by the way he was clutching both arms around it.

"Was it something you ate?" Aaron asked after Colin signaled his right side. Impossible, the kid looked paler and shook his head. He also splayed a hand protectively over his side.

With a sickening realization, Neil understood. After all, he'd been in the little boy's shoes himself more times than he cared to count.

Surprisingly, Aaron's voice turned soft and his smile was easy going. "Okay. Let's go to the infirmary, see if we can make you feel better in time for practice. What team are you joining today?"

The kid nodded and latched into Aaron's offered hand. They walked together out of the cafeteria. "I wanted to play basket but I don't know if I'll..."

Their voices faded once they were far enough away.

Neil didn't know if either Kevin or Nicky had picked up on the real reason behind the kid feeling sick and needing Aaron's help, so he kept his mouth shut about it. He also kept a lid on his questions.

The cafeteria had emptied a lot while they talked and Neil needed to finish his lunch before Andrew showed up. Having lost track of time while talking to the others, he'd also forgotten he was supposed to be reluctant about working with Andrew today, but there had been more important things than the blond man's odd behavior to garner his attention so he just shrugged and finished eating in silence.

When they were about to part ways, Kevin lingered just enough to tell him to ask Coach more about the job, the Power Ranger job, because he'd be able to explain it better. Neil nodded and alone he was left until Andrew showed up a few minutes later with his cleaning cart in hand.

Neil wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Andrew’s parting words at the gym had suggested he was looking forward to the only time of the day they actually worked together even if they usually didn’t speak to each other. So it shouldn’t have surprised him, really, when the blond man ignored him for the better part of an hour, enough to give Dan time to find them.

“Neil! We saved you a seat at lunch, where were you?” the cafeteria was empty by now and when she approached him, she perched herself up on the table he’d been sweeping under.

“I ate with Nicky and the guys”

“Oh” she looked half disappointed and half concerned, sending a suspicious look Andrew’s way a few tables over. Neil didn’t think she’d be so bummed about him not making it for the first lunch shift, but he shrugged and kept sweeping the floor under her legs.

“So… did you want something?”

She seemed to remember why she’d gone looking for him and turned around with an excited smile. “Yes! I wanted to give you this at lunch but, well, here” she reached into her pocket and pulled out a cellphone, offering the device to him. Neil just stared dumbly back at her.

“Umm…”

“Come on, take it”

“What is that?” it was a stupid question, of course Neil knew what it was. What he really wanted to ask was why the hell was she giving him a phone?

“Your new communicator”

Odd way to call it, he thought. “I don’t need a phone”

“It’s not just a phone. I mean, it works like a phone but it is also connected to a private grid that reroutes the signal through the command centre. It makes the line secure”

“Thanks but you can keep it. I can get by without one”

Neil wasn’t sure how to stress how imperative it was for him not to have a phone, a dangerous electronic device, without giving away the panic that had begun to grip him at the mere sight of the thing. Fox or no Fox inside him, the idea of owning such an easily traceable machine was making his heart race in speed.

“But now that you’re part of the team we need a way to reach you in case something comes up”

“Can’t you just come find me during work like you just did?”

_Please drop it. Just drop it._

“And what about when we’re off the clock? This is non negotiable Neil, you need a communicator, we all have one. Even Andrew has it, right Andrew?”

“Aye, aye Captain” Andrew’s voice had retained its newly discovered mocking qualities and when the blond let out his next words, Neil’s panic was slightly overshadowed by annoyance. “Does the Rabbit need help accepting a gift?”

“Will you quit calling me that?”

“I think it’s fitting”

“Well, I think it’s annoying” Neil took in a breath, knowing it was futile to succumb to anger when he was already so rattled by the phone dilemma, so he turned back to Dan who’d been watching the exchange with a frown between her eyes. “Is it really necessary?”

She sighed. “It is. There’s an alert system built into the communicator. Whenever trouble shows up, you get a direct notification. The Raven kind of trouble, so you need to keep it with you at all times”

Neil eyed the device distrustfully. He was aware of how much time he was wasting just staring at the thing. It looked like one of those modern, rectangular, flat and unnecessarily big cellphones which just made it seem all the more menacing to him. And even though she didn’t look mad, Dan was staring at him impatiently. What other choice did he have but to accept it? He’d already conceded so much, what was one more thing?

“You don’t have to use it as a phone at all if you don’t want to but the device stays with you. Coach’s orders”

He guessed her words were final. “Fine”

Dan’s expression brightened again and she handed over the communicator. He picked it up like it was a bag full of explosives and stared dumbfounded at it as Dan left to go back to work.

It wasn’t a second later that Andrew appeared by his side.

“What? Not a fan of exy and not a fan of phones? A man can only have so many issues Rabbit. So why the dislike?”

“None of your business” Neil said in a monotone voice, eyes still glued to the phone, slash, communicator, slash, panic trigger.

“I beg to differ. Will you surprise us all one day by being a closeted nerd with phones? I hear you came out of the exy closet quite spectacularly”

Well, if Andrew had been trying to get his attention, he’d succeeded now. Neil wasn’t naive enough to hope that his performance on the court wouldn’t go past the plexiglass walls, but when exactly would Kevin have found the time to tell Andrew about it? Being good at exy and recognized about it was a really big deal for Neil, but it shouldn’t have been for anyone else here. That only made Neil’s alarm bells ring louder at the back of his mind.

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t”

“Great, then stop bugging me about it”

This time, Andrew didn’t even try to hide his smirk. “Am I hitting a nerve? Getting close to the truth?”

“What truth?”

“You tell me”

There was no way Andrew knew about him. He was just fishing for information, wasn’t he? Everyone knew by now that he was hiding something, but he’d been granted a pass and the right for privacy by the team. He’d never seemed interested before, so why was Andrew playing twenty questions now?

“What’s your deal anyway? I thought you made a point not to talk to anybody and ignore half the world around you”

“I told you once, Rabbit. Nobody likes a trespasser”

“I am not a trespasser”

“Aren’t you?”

Andrew’s attitude didn’t make any sense. This was probably the first time the other boy send more than two words his way and Neil was starting to miss the quiet somber guy he’d worked with all week. Was this what everyone had been warning him about? Andrew’s sudden penchant for sarcastic interrogation?

“You were the ones that wanted me to stay” he answered after a moment, wondering if he wasn’t already giving too much away since Andrew seemed to be like the type to read between the lines.

“And you were about to run away to not even you know where. What are you running from anyway?”

 _Stop. Danger. Back away now_. These were the signals his brain was bombarding him with and he had to clear his throat several times in order to reply.

“I’m not… I’m not running away from anything”

The blond lifted an eyebrow. “Really? Where are you from then? What are you doing here in Palmetto? Why did you lie to Kevin about exy? Why don’t you like phones?”

“What the— I don’t— You’re reaching”

“Am I?”

Neil needed to end this conversation now. Andrew was proving to be smart enough to connect the few dots he’d been forced to reveal since his arrival at the Foxhole Court and that couldn’t mean anything good for him.

But just when he was about about to either retort something back or storm his way out of the cafeteria in outraged anger, the communicator still in his hand beeped, startling him enough to send the thing crashing to the ground.

Andrew let out a snort and, vaguely, Neil registered a beep coming out of Andrew’s pocket too.

“Ah, saved by the bell” the blond said, watching as Neil picked up the communicator from the floor and silencing his own. It didn’t take long for the first Ranger to respond. Matt rushed into the cafeteria and headed to the back of the kitchen, calling out for Neil as he went. “Run along now, Red Rabbit. But I will figure you out”

“There’s nothing to figure out”

“Nothing… sure”

Before Neil could say anything else, the other Rangers made an appearance: Allison, Kevin and Seth. Surprisingly enough, Dan showed up as well.

“Come on, Neil. Duty calls”

When he turned to Andrew again, the blond was already half way out of the cafeteria ignoring them all as if the whole encounter hadn’t even happened.

“Neil!”

“I’m coming”

And up the stairs behind the fake refrigerator door they went, climbing the steps until they were standing at the Foxhole Force command centre.

* * *

Not a second after them, Coach joined the five Rangers plus Dan on the second floor.

“What is it Dan?” he asked, coming over to peer at one of the monitors.

“Raven activity picked up by the computers”

Kevin stepped forward next. “Where?”

“Down by the beach, near the port”

“Makes sense, being Saturday and all” Allison commented. She didn’t look worried exactly, but she looked as serious as Neil had ever seen her.

“Lots of people too. He must be hunting for his next perfect Raven”

“Well then” Matt clasped his hands together and positioned himself in a wider section of the room. “We gonna do this or what?”

“Umm…”

“This is the part where we suit up and kick Raven ass, remember? That thing we did yesterday?” Neil would’ve liked to roll his eyes at Seth, but after his conversation with Andrew, he rathered keep a tighter lid on his emotions. And he was having a lot of those.

Underneath the same reluctance he’d felt the day before, Neil could also feel the excitement his Fox was splashing him with. The Red Fox was in the mood for _kicking Raven ass_ and the anticipation was contagious. Adrenalin was also making an appearance and he hadn’t even moved from his spot near the stairwell yet.

“Alright Rangers. Off you go” Coach ordered and the others followed Matt to the wide space he’d perched himself on. Neil guessed he was supposed to do the same, so he got in position at the end of the row.

Nothing happened for a moment, and when Neil looked up to ask what they should do next, he found that everyone was already looking expectantly at him. He remained silent, not sure what would be appropriate to say.

_Go team?_

_Yes, let’s go kick some Raven ass?_

They both sounded lame and unoriginal, so he stayed silent until Kevin heaved a sigh and took a step forward, breaking formation.

He reached his hands up and tapped the blue cuff on his wrist. “It’s morphing time!”

Everyone else moved as one. Arms up, hand clasped over the cuff and elbows a little bent. All Neil could do was copy them.

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha!”

“Ha!” Neil echoed awkwardly, feeling more than a little stupid, but once he let the word out, the world dissolved into the same full nothingness of yesterday until all he could see was red and all he could feel was the spirit of the Red Fox enveloping him in the suit.

Less than a minute later, the five suited Rangers were standing in the middle of the command centre.

“Comm check?” Neil heard Dan’s voice both near the computers and inside his helmet. By now he’d already gathered she was like their tech support girl.

Everyone nodded and Coach sent them on their way with a warning to be careful.

“Let’s go” Kevin ordered but everyone else halted and laughed when Neil took a step towards the entrance.

“What are you doing?” Seth asked and if Neil could have seen his face, he was sure his expression would be amused.

“You said we were going”

“We can’t just walk out through the front door while the youth centre is open” Allison explained, not even trying to hide her laughter.

Neil’s cheeks would probably be on fire if it weren’t for the fact he was more annoyed by their mockery than embarrassed. “Where to, then?”

At least Matt took pity on him. “We have a side door. Come on”

Neil followed the other Rangers as Dan pressed a big round button on the desk and a panel slid open by one of the side walls. Kevin, Allison, Seth and Matt went through the threshold one by one and Neil followed them to find himself descending what looked like a tunnel of stairs.

“Where does this lead to?” he asked, the Red Fox the only thing preventing his voice from breaking at the anxiety the sight before him created. This felt way too much like going down the stairs to a basement. But they were on the second floor, there was no way this tunnel would lead underground.

_Right?_

“You’ll see” Allison again.

Neil decided to trust his Fox if nothing else and counted the minutes until he saw the day of light again.

As it turned out, _You’ll see_ meant a hidden cave entrance several yards away from the Foxhole Court that opened up into a remote little forest filled with trees and a few clear paths for runners. And they had to travel underground to get there, yes, thank you very much. Neil felt nauseated.

“Cool, huh?” Matt asked, clapping him on the back.

“Sure”

“Come on. There’s not time to waste”

Everyone nodded and started running after Kevin.

* * *

Neil hadn’t been to Palmetto Beach yet and he found it rather disappointing in size. When the Rangers made it to the small port, Neil could see all the way to the end of the beach line, the shore describing a slight curve. There were some rocky cliffs in the distance, but overall, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

That didn’t mean the place wasn’t packed though, and when Neil found the source of all the screaming, his heartrate jumped in place.

“Look! It’s Lieutenant Mureau” Seth signaled to a man walking down the port while a pair of Ravens wreaked havoc around him.

“Who is that?” Neil asked.

It was Dan who answered, back at the centre. “Riko’s perfect Raven number 3”

“But he’s human”

Next to him, Kevin’s posture was rigid and when he spoke, his voice was hard and unforgiving. “Perfect Ravens are able to go back and forth, like Riko does”

“Looks like he’s tasted a lot of people” Matt added and that brought Neil’s attention from Kevin’s stiffness to the man at the centre of the Raven chaos.

He jumped a few feet in the air when his visor zoomed in on the scene all on its own, making him lose his balance for a moment and stare in astonishment as the suit did on its own what Neil had been unconsciously thinking about. They were too far away for him to see Lieutenant Mureau with any detail, but now he could see as far as the man’s fingernails and how he brought them to his mouth to lick the blood running down his fingers.

He remembered his own pain at having talons like that sinking into his flesh. The Red Fox felt the same. “What are we waiting for then? He’s hurting people”

“Ready Rangers?” Kevin asked and together they ran the rest of the way to the Ravens.

Some people cheered upon seeing them but mainly everyone kept fleeing the scene. When they reached the trio of Ravens, they got into the same formation they’d done yesterday, expect this time Kevin was in the middle while Neil stood at the far side. Neil watched incredulously as the other Rangers performed a series of complicated body movements that looked like a mixture of fighting postures and tai-chi.

First was Allison.

“Stop right there! Corsac Fox. Power Ranger Pink!”

Matt.

“Kit Fox. Power Ranger Green!”

Seth.

“Blanford Fox. Power Ranger Yellow!”

Finally, Kevin. “Swift Fox. Power Ranger Blue!”

And then there was Neil, who could only keep staring at his teammates in disguised horror. “Yeah… I am _not_ doing that”

“Rangers” Lieutenant Mureau spat when they were done introducing themselves, effectively bringing their focus into him and saving Neil from dying of embarrassment. The man’s eyes also flashed yellow for an instant and the other two Ravens came to stand on either side of him.

“Jean”

“Don’t get in my way Kevin. I have things to do” Neil shouldn’t have been surprised by the exchange, seeing as Riko knew Kevin’s identity. He should have guessed there was no reason for the Raven King to keep that knowledge to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw everyone else getting into a fighting stance, so he did the same.

“If those things involve kidnapping another human, you know I can’t let you do that”

Neil was impressed by how much Kevin kept his cool under the circumstances. He would’ve attributed it to experience, but neither Matt nor Seth could hide their fidgeting. Their helmets were locked on the Ravens at either side of Lt. Mureau as if waiting for them to suddenly attack. Allison was watching between Kevin and the man talking to him, and Neil was standing a bit awkwardly to the side not really sure what his role was in this whole stand off.

Yesterday, everything had happened so fast. When he’d transformed into the Red Ranger, he’d felt the Red Fox guiding him through the whole process. That’s how he’d known to use the Fox Blasters as one after all. But even though the Red Fox was very much present now, Neil didn’t feel any master plans coming to mind. What was he supposed to do?

When Kevin took a step forward, Neil was more than happy to watch him take the lead.

“Get out of here Jean. We’ll just blast you to dust if you fight”

“I heard of your knew weapon” the man —why did Kevin kept calling him Jean?— glanced towards Neil but his distraction was brief. He had eyes only for Kevin.

“Then you know what we can do”

“I know I have a job to do. You know what that’s like, don’t you Kevin?”

“Kevin” Allison whispered at his side to call for his attention. “Let’s just fry him and leave”

Ignoring her, Kevin dragged the conversation on. “You’re not marking anyone today”

For the first time since they arrived, Lt. Mureau let out half a smile. “Too late for that”

“So who is it then? Where are they?” this time it was Allison who asked.

“He got away thanks to your unfortunate distraction, but I’ll find him again”

“Fat chance Raven” apart from Dan being their tech girl, Neil had also figured Seth was their official trashtalker. He seemed to love edging the bad guys on.

“I won’t waste any more time with you” Mureau said, his features beginning to change into those of a Raven. “Now get out of my way!”

When he was fully transformed, Lt. Mureau rushed at them followed by the other two Ravens and they slashed through the Rangers’ formation as they went. Neil tried to protect himself as much as he could but he wasn’t able to avoid a stray talon slashing into his arm. The electrical discharge was painful but sudden and Neil found he hadn’t even lost his footing, unlike Kevin who had ended up on the floor. The Ravens were nowhere in sight.

Well, that was quick.

Allison helped Kevin up back to his feet and despite a few angry curses from Seth, everyone seemed alright.

“What do we do now?” Neil asked and waited for anyone to answer back.

Neil didn’t know what it was, but there was a tense atmosphere around them. Matt was too quiet. Seth too angry. Allison was hovering over Kevin too much and Kevin was silently shrugging her off.

“Guys” Neil asked again. “The Raven got away, he said he marked someone”

“We need to find whoever it is before they do” Matt said, finally breaking his silence. “Riko already has one too many perfect Ravens on his side”

“How are we going to find him? Mureau must have tasted dozens of people”

“What about the mark itself? The wound on the cheek” offered Seth and Neil shuddered. He thought back to his own mark. The scar had lasted for about a couple of days but the wound had been too small for it to scar permanently. He could at least be thankful about that.

“That’d be like searching for a needle in a haystack”

“Well it’s the only thing I can think of”

“What if we—?”

But Dan’s voice interrupted both Allison and Seth. “Come back to the centre guys. We need a plan”

Everyone’s shoulders slumped but they agreed to the call back and Kevin silently led the way back to the secret entrance of the Court.

* * *

“Dan, have you got anything?”

They were back at the command centre. Coach hadn’t been there to welcome them back because the youth centre was blowing up with children and every main coach was currently Raven hunting, so they would have to deal with the situation on their own.

“I’ve gone through the footage of every available street camera near the beach but no angle picks up everyone’s whole face. It’s like Allison said, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack”

Seth slumped himself over a chair by one of the desktops that littered the place. “Well, we can’t just look for every face in Palmetto hoping to find a cheek wound”

“So what’s the plan?” Matt asked.

“We wait” Kevin looked specially gloomy as he walked closer to Dan and inspected the monitors. “Jean said he’d be back, so we wait until the monitors pick him up and he’ll lead us right to the target”

“I wish you’d stop calling him that” Allison crossed her arms over her chest and regarded Kevin with a challenging though not ungentle expression.

“It’s his name, isn’t it?” Allison was about to say something back but Kevin beat her to it. “Whatever. Just keep the computers running and we’ll wait for the notification. I have stuff to do”

Kevin stormed down the stairs leading to the kitchen, passing by Neil without as much as a glance his way and Allison let out a frustrated sigh before following, calling for him to wait a damn minute.

Dan was already engrosed back in her work, a pair of headphones over her ears, and Seth disappeared somewhere beyond a pair of sliding doors Neil had only just noticed. This whole floor was so big and spacious Neil got the feeling he hadn’t even seen half the stuff in it yet. Matt was the last one to move, squeezing Dan’s shoulder on his way to the stairwell, and he was also the only one who seemed to remember Neil was still there.

“You okay man?” he asked. Neil nodded, keeping the uncertainty out of his eyes.

They’d detransformed the moment they were safely back at the centre and if there was one thing he could appreciate about the slightly claustrophobic helmet was that no one could see through his eyes. But of course Neil was fine. It’s not like he’d actually done anything other than stand awkwardly around everyone else. He hadn’t helped stop the Ravens at the beach like he’d done yesterday and he couldn’t help find the target now. Even if they did find him, when faced against Lieutenant Mureau and the other Ravens, Neil wouldn’t even know what to do. Why was it so easy yesterday when he’d had to fight Riko on his own?

Neil was starting to realize Matt was a very touchy kind of person for he put a hand on Neil’s shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time since they’d met. “Don’t worry. They’re just a little stressed. We really can’t have Riko finding more perfect Ravens for his army”

“He said I’d be number 5. Does that mean he has four already?”

Matt grimaced. “Not exactly. Also, he’s number 1 so he really doesn’t count”

“So, three then”

The broader man nodded uncomfortably and motioned Neil towards the stairs before him. They reached the ground floor and parted ways.

Neil found his cleaning cart in the exact same place he’d left it and made his way wearily towards the locker rooms. He had a feeling Andrew wouldn’t have grown up from his childish pettyness of that day yet so he assumed he had plenty of scrubbing ahead of him.

“Ah, Neil” it could only be Neil’s luck that had him running into Coach in the hallway that housed both the locker rooms and the man’s office. “You just saved me the trouble of finding you”

“Did you want something?”

“We need to have a little chat”

“Does it have to be now? Look, I’m already behind on the work you actually hired me to do so—”

Coach sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, now. It’s not like you’ll get in trouble with the boss after all”

Neil had no choice but to concede that point.

Coach guided him towards his office where he sat comfortably behind his desk and reached for a mini fridge next to the chair. He pulled a bottle of water and offered it to Neil. It wasn’t until he saw it that he realized how thirsty he was.

“Thanks”

Coach gave him a minute to gulp down the cool water but he started the conversation pretty quickly after that. “So… how are things going?”

Neil’s shoulders involuntarily slumped in defeat. “We lost the target and the Ravens got away”

“Not what I asked”

“But—”

“I saw the whole thing upstairs and Kevin already gave me the mission report”

Neil frowned and fidgeted with the water bottle in his hands. “So what else did you want to know?”

“I wanna know how you’re holding up. These past couple of days have been pretty hectic and we haven’t had the chance to talk”

“I’m fine” he responded with a shrug. Coach didn’t agree with his assessment though.

“Kid, give me a little credit, will ya? I may not know you but a lot has happened to you since yesterday. There’s no way you’re fine”

“I…” Neil wasn’t sure how he should reply. Should he insist he was okay after everything that’s happened? Neil wasn’t one to share his feelings easily, if at all, mainly because he hadn’t had anyone to share them with, but ever since morphing for the second time, he’d been feeling restless enough not even the Fox inside him could help him settle down. If Coach was supposed to be like their mentor, wasn’t he the only person he could seek advice from? “It’s just… I don’t know what I’m doing. Yesterday was kind of cool and terrifying at the same time but I haven’t really wrapped my head around it yet and I wasn’t expecting it to happen again so soon today”

The older man nodded along to everything he said. “And you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, like the whole world stopped making sense only to make perfect sense in a different way. Your Fox knows a lot of things you don’t, yet that knowledge is now in you. You don’t quite know how to reach for it but you also can’t get rid of it. How am I doing so far?”

Well, Neil hadn’t been expecting a complete x-ray of every one of his feelings right now, but he couldn’t deny the man was right on every account. “You said the Fox would guide me”

“Hasn’t it?”

“I didn’t feel guided today. I felt—”

“What?” Coach prompted when Neil couldn’t bring himself to go on.

“Nothing”

“Neil, I realize there’s no reason for you to trust me yet but I’ve been running this place, all three floors of it, for some time now and part of my job is making sure you know you can come to me if you have any questions or concerns. We weren’t successful on our mission today but there’s still work to do, so don’t worry about it”

“It’s not that” Neil answered hastily and when Coach stared patiently at him, the redhead heaved a sigh and tried to put the right words together. “I mean it is that, in part. I just… Yesterday when I morphed, things made sense. Today, I just felt stupid. Running around in a bright red suit and yelling stuff to the air and not knowing what to do. The others didn’t seem fazed by any of it”

“They’ve been doing this for a few years now”

They felt silent for a few minutes after Coach’ reply. When he thought about it, Neil still couldn’t believe how he’d let himself get roped into such chaos. What had he been thinking? These people were on a war, they have been for years apparently, but how to tell Coach he didn’t have a few years? All he had was a few months at most before he had to pack up and leave. He didn’t belong in their cause and he knew he and everyone else were just wasting their time.

“I just don’t understand what my role is in all of this” but if he’d meant to lead the other man towards dismissing him from the Foxhole Force, he failed miserably when a smile broke out on his face.

“Ah… I could’ve helped you out with that if you’d just asked. You’re meant to be our leader Neil”

Neil’s mind came reeling to a stop. “Come again?”

“You’re the Red Ranger and the Red Fox lives in you”

“That doesn’t mean I can be a leader. I am the farthest thing from a leader. You saw me today, I didn’t do anything”

_I’m a runaway, I’m a liability, I’m nothing._

“No one expects it to happen over so little time. You need patience and training, but you’re meant to be the team leader”

It just didn’t make any sense. He was the new guy. He was rookie material, at best. Definitely not a leader. “Why can’t Kevin lead the team? He certainly has the right attitude for it”

“He’s shown great leadership qualities and he’s done great in the absence of the Red Ranger, but no one can really take the place meant for the Red Fox”

So what Coach was basically saying was that things are always meant to be. Kevin wasn’t the leader, no matter how good he was at the job, because it simply wasn’t meant to be. How unfair was that?

Thinking about Kevin brought another matter to the surface and he took the opportunity to steer Coach away from this being leader nonsense.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot”

“Why do all the bad guys seem to know Kevin? I mean, they know his identity but they talk to him like they know _know_ him” Riko had done it yesterday and Lieutenant Mureau had also addressed Kevin as if they had met before. Plus, there was also the way Kevin kept calling Mureau ‘Jean’, something Allison hadn’t been too happy about. The topic change had Coach straightening up in his chair and clasping his hands together over the desk.

“Ah… Kevin doesn’t really like to talk about it but it is something everyone else knows and you should too” he paused for effect before delivering the news. “Kevin used to be a Raven”

“ _What?_ ” Neil croaked.

“Kevin was supposed to be one of the perfect Ravens. I trust you know about that already?”

Neil nodded. “Riko wants to build a perfect army. Nicky says it’s for world domination”

“And Nicky wouldn’t be too far off. Riko chose Kevin as his number 2, his right hand man if you will, but he was in the process of creating him when Kevin got away and found his way to us. I’ll spare you the boring details but, by that time, Allison and Seth were already part of the Force. When Kevin came into the building, the blue morpher started acting up, much like yours did, and so he found himself joining the team after that. Matt arrived some time later”

“But he escaped before Riko could turn him, right? I mean, he’s still human”

“Yes… and no” Neil kept looking expectantly at Coach and the man was quick to explain. “Making a Raven is a long process. Kevin escaped when the process was barely half way done, but he’d already spent a year trapped in the Raven’s Nest. Jean Mureau wasn’t so fortunate and he completed the transformation process”

Neil didn’t really know what to say after that. He was halfway between impressed and nauseated. To be kept as Raven prisoner for a year and experimented on… Neil was surprised Kevin acted as normal as he did now.

At his silence, Coach tried to lighten up the mood. “But don’t worry Neil, the Swift Fox chose Kevin for a reason and he’s managed to keep the Raven influence at bay because of his Fox”

“This shit is crazy” was all Neil could bring himself to say and Coach laughed hard at his words.

“I won’t argue with you on that”

Neil shrugged and straightened up in his seat as well. “I still think he’d be a better leader than I could ever be. I don’t even really know the others and they don’t know me”

“Then it’s a great opportunity to get to know other people, don’t you think? Haven’t you been on your own long enough?”

Whatever false sense of safety had fallen into him during the long conversation inside Coach’s office broke away at the man’s question. First it had been Andrew trying to dig around for his secrets and hitting spots dangerously close to real nerves while doing so, and now his boss was guessing he’d been alone for a while now? Either they were extremely perceptive people, or Neil was letting his defences drop down around them. He was getting comfortable and he’d only been at the youth centre for a week. What was it that Allison had said on his first day? People come to the Foxhole Court for the chance to belong somewhere.

The problem was, Neil couldn’t belong anywhere.

“I should go back to work” he said, springing to his feet and watching reluctantly as Coach did the same.

“Oh! That reminds me, should I ask for your bank account information or do you want me to keep paying you in cash? You’re no longer on probation, in case there was any doubt about it”

“You’re paying me to be a Power Ranger?” the older man snorted.

“No, I’m paying you to janitor this place up. I’m sure you’ve noticed it’s quite a handful job” the whole Foxhole Court was a handful _everything_ , Neil thought. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

“Cash, if you don’t mind”

“Very well. Keep track of your communicator, the day isn’t over yet”

And that right there was one of the things Neil was most worried about.

* * *

Neil spent the next hour between a mop and rubber gloves. He had to step outside a locker room at least twice while a team went it and changed, waiting for them to be done before he could go clean it all over again. _This is why locker rooms get cleaned first thing in the morning Andrew_. Neil retorted in his mind, but he was sure if the other man walked in through the door right that second, Neil wouldn't dare say anything to his face. Not because he was afraid of him, but because he really didn't want to garner any more attention from him.

Once the task at hand was done, Neil considered he'd earned himself a break so he left the cleaning cart in its place, changed into a better workout outfit and made his way to the gym.

During the week he'd only been at the gym two other times and only to use the treadmill. He preferred running outside but he would take advantage of his free time when he had it. From what Neil could tell the gym was mostly always empty and only the older kids were ever found there lifting weights or using one of the cardio machines. Neil had also noticed that the busiest hour was right before closing time, the kids wanting to get as much workout done as they could before heading home. Neil had the slightest suspicion they wanted to energize themselves before going home and facing whatever situation they had going on there, it's what Neil would've done anyway. Or maybe they didn't even have a home to go to and just used the gym as an excuse to stay occupied in the youth centre until the last possible moment. Whatever way it was, Neil had the gym almost all to himself for at least another twenty minutes.

So he ran. He ran like he'd been itching to do from day one. He set himself a punishing pace, making sure to keep an eye on the communicator he'd put on the phone holder of the treadmill.

It was surreal to him, waiting for a phone to lit up and not sure if he was dreading it or looking forward to it. The Fox inside him was on edge, but the feeling must have probably rubbed off on it from him, since Neil hadn't yet known the Fox to feel anything other than calm or excited.

 _Thanks a lot for your help out there_ , he thought bitterly towards the Fox, unintentionally, or maybe definitely intentionally, spiking the Fox's uneasiness. Or maybe he was spiking his own feelings of failure and anxiety. And that, right there, was one of the problems at hand. Which feelings were his own and which were from his Fox? Yesterday, the calming presence of the Fox had gotten him through the night mostly unscatched but today, he feared he was pushing his unstable psyche into the Fox.

For as long as he could remember, Neil had always suffered from anxiety. First, it had been at home, the ever constant feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. The shoe in that case being a cleaver, or a hot iron or a fucking knife. Then it was waiting for someone to recognize them and catch up to them, to drag them back to his father's basement.

Neil had gotten used to living with the feeling, though that didn't make living with it any easier or the attacks any better. In fact, after everything that had happened that week, Neil was pretty impressed with how well he was handling things. But then again it might have everything to do with the Fox and nothing to do with his unimpressive coping mechanisms.

He let out a panting breath and tried not to think about it anymore as he ran. If he'd ever had an identity crisis before, what with all the fake names and background stories, they had nothing against this one.

Who was he any more? The Red Fox? The Red Ranger? Neil Josten? Nathaniel Wesninski?

Soon he'll need a binder of his own just to keep track of himself.

When the gym began filling up with people, he stopped the treadmill and went back to the staff locker room to get a shower, but as he was sorting out his locker, the communicator beeped to life with an alert calling him to the command centre.

Neil groaned. At least he'd gotten a couple of hours alone and away from mostly everyone.

Sweaty as he was, he met up with everyone in the kitchen. He made a point to memorize the code to the refrigerator door in case he ever needed to get upstairs on his own.

Matt was the first to the second floor. "Is it Mureau?"

"Yes. He found the target. He's got him cornered a few blocks away from the beach"

Neil got into position next to Kevin. For a scary moment, he had the impulse to yell for them to get ready but he was able to restrain his Fox enough to not burst out the words for him. This time no one expected him to do anything, so Kevin lifted his arms up and Neil was more than happy to follow.

"It's morphing time!"

Once they were all suited up, they didn't waste any time.

"You should be seeing the coordinates in your visors" Dan said and, sure enough, once they were well on their way down the hill where the Foxhole Court rested, Neil saw the city before him as a map grid, a clear green line telling him where to go.

It wasn't long before they reached their mark and Kevin had them halt before making themselves known.

They were in a narrow street, cars parked on either side of the road and a sidewalk not even big enough for one. The target was a young man who was valiantly trying to keep the Ravens at bay by swinging his backpack around him in a protective circle. Neil had to give him points for bravery.

"Okay, here's the plan" Kevin muttered, keeping his eyes on the scuffle ahead. "Allison, distraction. Seth, extraction. Matt and Neil, the Ravens. I'll take on Jean"

The others nodded along to Kevin's words and wasted no more time before jumping into action.

Matt signaled for Neil to follow him and when Allison dropped down in front of Lieutenant Mureau in a flash of bright pink and sharp words, they jumped the Ravens from behind at the same time.

"Fuck off Mureau! Your useless brain has no business here!"

" _Putain de Rangers_ " Lieutenant Mureau spat between gritted teeth and Neil had time to see Kevin perch himself next to Allison before he had to focus all of his attention on the Raven in front of him.

The thing was as big and vicious as the ones they'd fought the day before and Neil was quickly losing ground against it.

The creature pounded him mercilessly and avoided any of Neil's hits with a velocity that should be impossible for such a big brainless bird. But Neil managed to hold his ground, at least until the talons started slashing around.

By the third time he hit the floor, he knew he wouldn't be able to defeat the Raven alone.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Matt dealing with his own Raven while a few feet away Kevin and Allison were locked in a fierce battle against Mureau. Seth was nowhere to be seen, probably getting the target to safety, and Neil found himself alone, anxiety threatening to finish him off before the Raven could.

 _Help me_ , he silently asked his Fox and wriggled out of the way with barely enough time to avoid the Raven landing feet first on top him.

When Neil got up, he got up swinging.

It would be hard to pinpoint exactly the moment it happened, but he felt the Red Fox's presence stronger than he had all day and suddenly the flood of knowledge was back in his brain.

Sidestep, dodge, left hook, right hook, dodge again, jump! Roundhouse kick, swipe the legs, a fist to the face.

The Raven was at least a little stunned after that.

But Neil didn't have time to feel satisfied about it because the stunned Raven turned into an angry Raven and Neil found himself flying through the air again landing near Matt and his own battle. He got up quickly though, standing next to Matt and giving him a hand fending off one of the creatures.

Matt took out his Fox Blaster and looked expectantly at Neil. "Together?" he asked.

Neil nodded and drew his own weapon.

The blast wasn't as powerful as when the five of them did it yesterday, but it was enough to catch both Ravens by surprise and give Neil and Matt a moment to breathe.

"We need Seth" Neil said and tapped the side of his helmet to call for him. If they were going to fry these birds, they needed all five of them.

"Incoming!" Seth responded and when he arrived, he did it by landing on Lieutenant Mureau's shoulders.

"Argh!" Mureau lost his balance and dropped heavily to the ground while Seth got gracely back on his feet. Matt and Neil ran to join the other three.

"Face it now you lowlife dump. You lost" Seth let out as Mureau got angrily back on his feet. He'd been fighting the Rangers as a human, but his eyes flashed yellow and the feathers began to grow.

"Let's use the Foxes Blast on him now! Before he fully transforms" Allison suggested, taking out her weapon and getting into position. Everyone agreed and did the same.

Neil was about to call out the attack but he hesitated at the last second, waiting for Kevin to do the same. Both Rangers stared at each other and in that moment, they lost their chance.

"Look out!" Matt pushed them all out of the way, barely missing Lt. Mureau's talons himself and soon enough the Rangers got separated again into two different battles. Allison and Seth against the two Ravens, and Matt, Kevin and Neil against Mureau.

"What happened?" Kevin asked him while they fought. "You were supposed to call the attack!"

Neil blocked one of Mureau's hits and jumped out of the way before answering. "Me!? You need to call it out!"

"Don't be stupid, you did it yesterday!"

"And you can do it today!"

"Guys!" Matt interrupted after landing a good punch on Mureau's face. "Just pick one!"

Kevin and Neil stared at each other.

_You're meant to be the team leader…_

Coach's words resonated in his mind at the same time his Fox gave him a metaphorical push forward. They'd been in formation, the other Rangers had gathered around Neil, Kevin himself had waited for Neil to act first. And he'd let the opportunity escape. He still didn't think it was fair for the taller man to be dismissed as leader if he was so good at it, but if Kevin was willing to leave the spot open for him, at least today, Neil couldn't mess up another shot. They had to end the Ravens now.

With a curt nod, Neil drew his weapon again.

"Alright, let's do this!"

Seth and Allison found their way quickly back to them and so the Rangers stood, facing off against the Ravens and Mureau.

Allison and Matt were to his right, Kevin and Seth to his left, and Neil pointed his blaster to the sky.

Tapping into the energy of the five foxes, Neil didn't feel embarrassed or stupid when he yelled at the top of his lungs for the attack to come. "Foxes Blast!"

“Now!”

The result was spectacular. The colored energy beams combined at the end of their reach and the Ravens were drowned in an explosion of sparks. By the time the smoke cleared, there was no Raven in sight.

"Yes!" everyone but Kevin cheered and Neil watched him holst away his weapon with a defeated set of his shoulders. Worry spiked inside him. Had he misunderstood Kevin's approval to call the attack? Was the other man mad about him stepping on his toes? But movement to the right dispelled all questions from his mind as he got into a fighting stance again.

"Look" he called, and everyone turned.

"You think you're so powerful" a voice croaked from behind the row of parked vehicles and Neil was surprised to recognize it as Lieutenant Mureau's. Apparently he'd managed to dodge the attack, but he looked a lot worse for wear. Kevin inhaled sharply beside him but Neil didn't take his eyes off the threat. "You can keep this human. We'll find many more and you won't be able to stop what's coming"

"Tell Riko we're looking forward to it" Kevin said dismissively and Lt. Mureau snarled before disappearing down the street.

Neil wasn't sure he agreed with Kevin's statement, he certainly wasn't looking forward to _what was coming_ , but he kept his mouth shut about it. If anything, the words made for a good comeback line.

Tired yet weirdly electrified, Neil wished he could wipe the sweat off his forehead. Another downside of the helmet. "Is every day gonna be like this from now on?"

Matt put an arm around his shoulders and jostled him a little, but Neil had been half expecting it by now, so he let it happen. "Of course not... just every other day"

Neil groaned and everyone laughed, even Kevin, who also clapped him briefly on the shoulder and motioned everyone on. "Let's go back"

* * *

This time, when they stepped back into the command centre, the place was full.

The youth centre had closed for the day while the Rangers were battling Lieutenant Mureau and now every employee was on the second floor, much like the day before after Neil’s first mission as a Power Ranger.

“What do you think it means? What’s coming?” Nicky asked but no one really had an answer for that.

“We should try to get some information on that next time the Ravens attack” Coach stated, looking at every Ranger with a pointed look. “And they will attack again”

Murmur followed his words, but no one commented on them. They all knew he was right.

“What happened to the guy? Is he alright?” it was Aaron who asked, and Neil was starting to think the short blond took his job seriously at heart.

Seth nodded and replied. “I dropped him off by Central Park and he ran off home”

“But what happens to him now?” Neil asked right after that. “Won’t Mureau try to get him again”

Renee shook her head from where she was sitting on top of a desk. “We don’t know how it really works but he never goes after the same target twice”

“He went after me” he reminded her but Matt spoke before she could say anything back.

“He wanted Andrew too” and if that wasn’t a shock, Neil didn’t know what else it was. Riko had wanted Andrew for his perfect army? “I think you’re the only two he’s ever tried really hard to get. Well, you and—”

Neil was pretty sure he’d been about to say Kevin’s name, but everyone let it slide and Neil decided to focus on the important part of that particular revelation.

He turned to Andrew. “Is that why you work here?” but the blond merely lifted an eyebrow and ignored him.

Dan answered for him though. “That’s why Coach hired him, yes. To keep an eye on him in case Riko tried to get him again”

“Yeah” Allison added. “Why do you think we put up with the monster?”

“Hey!” Nicky let out outraged on behalf of his cousin but Andrew didn’t seem to mind the name.

Neil had always been a little put out by the way everyone kept referring to Andrew as a monster. Either they’d never seen the blond man interacting with the children or they didn’t really know what the word monster entailed. To Neil, the word didn’t mean mostly-quiet-and-kept-to-himself-if-a-little-rude man. Though he had to admit that after today, he wasn’t so sure everyone else was so wrong. Andrew had acted so different, so mocking and confrontational, ignoring him just to rile him up a moment later. Neil still didn’t think he was a monster, but he figured his first assessment of the blond hadn’t been wrong either. He was dangerous.

Now, watching Andrew take in the insult in stride without so much as a blink was disquieting. Allison had some nerve calling him monster to his face, but he didn’t seem to mind either way.

“Actually, we don’t even know why Riko would want him but… oh, never mind. Makes sense now”

“ _Allison_ ” Coach finally intervened and the blond girl shrugged her shoulders but remained quiet after that.

“Okay, I am beat” Matt let out and drapped himself all over Dan so the girl could take on part of his weight.

“Don’t be a baby” she chastised and the mood was set lighter after that.

“Anyone hungry? Let’s raid the cafeteria”

“As long as I don’t have to clean it afterwards” and even Neil was surprised to hear himself be part of the banter. When he looked up at the following silence, Matt was grinning at him and the girls were also sporting pleased smiles on their faces.

“Nah, your shift’s over”

“Then I guess I could eat”

Nicky’s next question though, had him reeling in his tracks. “So Neil, when are you going to move in?”

“Excuse me?” Matt nodded, agreeing with Nicky’s idea and he pointed a finger at Neil.

“Yeah, we don’t know where you’re staying but we figured it couldn’t be anything permanent with how little time you’ve been in Palmetto”

Neil had to fight not to stammer. “I’ve been staying in a motel”

“Gross” Allison spat.

“You’re coming to live with us” Kevin stated.

“Where exactly is that?” Neil asked.

“Here, of course!”

Neil grimaced in confusion. While it was true he’d once wondered how everyone was always already there when he arrived for work every morning, not once having crossed paths with any of them arriving or leaving the place, it hadn’t been on his mind for more than a few minutes and he hadn’t thought about it since. But where exactly did they find the space to live? He doubted the locker rooms made for good sleeping quarters.

Seeing the evident confusion on his face, Coach made everyone else quiet so he could talk. “Remember when I said I had to manage three floors? It’s a full time job”

Nicky balked at that. “Oh come on! We’re not that bad”

“Says you”

“Coach!”

Everyone was laughing and Neil couldn’t help but feeling like it was at his expense, even if they were clearly laughing at Coach’s words.

Neil jumped a little when Kevin leaned closer to him to explain things over the noisy room. “We all live on the third floor. We call it the Tower, because you can see the whole city from up there”

“Would I have to pay rent or something?”

“As long as you clean up after yourself, the place is free. It’s our home”

Neil let the thought sink in for a moment.

It was their _home_. He let his eyes roam over every one of their faces. The grins on Matt and Nicky’s face. The girls huddled close together. The twins with equal expressions of desinterest. Kevin and Coach the only ones staring back at him. This missmatched group of people all lived and worked together and they called this place a home. It was an overwhelming concept for Neil.

“So what do you say Neil? Are you moving in?”

“Umm…”

He let himself fantasize about it for a second. He could have a semi-permanent roof over his head, a hot meal three times a day. The Foxhole Court was a pretty secure building compared to a motel room and if they had to go through a fake coded door just to get to the second floor, wouldn’t Neil be safer than anywhere else sleeping above such a guarded door? And it was _free_. Neil wouldn’t have to spend his salary on anything other than savings and he could definitely use the boost to his cash reserve. Nothing really changed for him on the great scheme of things. He still had a job to do and he would still need to leave after a few months, but he could use the reprieve from the constant fear at night if only for a little while.

So with his mind made up, Neil looked back at Kevin and Coach, catching a glimpse of Andrew beyond them also looking his way, as if waiting for his reply.

“Sure” he agreed and then everyone went down to eat.

**_Next episode: A done deal_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t sure at first how this chapter was going to turn out and I have to admit it kind of got away from me at some parts and ended up being longer than anticipated. I’m sorry if it felt rushed at some point but I also needed to give out a lot of information and that cut short the space for the action.  
> At least now we have a bit of Kevin’s background story and Andrew’s already up to his conniving ways... any guesses as to what happens next episode? It’s kind of in the tittle so...
> 
> IMPORTANT: there will be an extra scene between Episode 3 and Episode 4 and it will be posted on Tumblr (not here!) so make sure to follow so you don’t miss the extra content. I haven’t written it yet but I’ll post it before Episode 4 “airs”
> 
> So did you like the episode? Let me know!  
> Also... I’d like to say that for someone who’s never used an image editor before and can barely draw the most basic of forms, I’m pretty proud of how the Fox Blaster turned out. It took me ages to finish it but I think it’s my favorite picture so far. Did you like it or is it too... I don’t know... weird?
> 
> See you on the next one!


	4. A done deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas people! I didn’t mean to finish this episode so soon this week but I took advantage of the few days off work to write it. Nothing like a quarantined holiday to get you in the writing mood. 
> 
> In case you missed it, the EXTRA SCENE from the previous episode can be found on Tumblr. Episode 3.5 is [HERE!](https://luna-moon-26-20.tumblr.com/post/638580321469775872/foxhole-force-extra-scene-tw-for-some)
> 
> Now... this episode people... just... just read it... we’ll talk at the end.  
> Enjoy!

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_Neil was feeling slightly ridiculous and lost when he morphed for the second time after the Ravens found a new target at the beach. When Coach told him he was supposed to be the leader of the team, he argued that Kevin would be a way better leader than he ever could. He also found out Kevin had gone through half the transformation process for becoming Riko’s perfect Raven number 2 but that he’d escaped to become the Blue Ranger. During the second encounter with Lt. Mureau, Neil had to step up and asume his role, though Mureau escaped, leaving them with a warning to prepare for what was coming next._

**S1 E4: A done deal**

* * *

When Renee’s fist connected with his solar plexus for the second time in as many minutes, Neil held up his hands in surrender and doubled over to catch his breath.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” he asked no one in particular.

“It’s part of your training” Renee replied with an entirely too pleased smile on her face. “Come on, time’s not up yet”

Neil groaned and got into position once more.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, two weeks since he’d arrived at Palmetto City and a week since moving into the Fox Tower with the rest of the team. Or at least it would’ve been beautiful if Neil hadn’t been getting his ass handed to him by allegedly sweet Renne for the better part of an hour now.

 _Rookie Power Ranger 101 crash course_ , Coach had said. Fighting lessons with Renee, suit and helmet features recognition with Dan, summoning weapons with Seth and attack calls with Kevin. Everything Neil could possibly need the next time they faced off against the Ravens.

 _It’ll be fun_ , everyone had agreed. Well Neil wasn’t having any fun now, not when Renee tangled their feet together and rolled over, making him crash into the mat and lose his oxygen all over again.

“Why… can’t I just… morph… and fight you then?” he let out between gulps of breath.

“That would defeat the whole purpose of training” his tormentor of the hour replied, offering him a hand and helping him get back on his feet. She wasn’t even winded.

“Why bother if I know how to fight when I’m suited up?”

“And what if you need to fight without morphing?” he didn’t really have an answer ready for that one, so Neil just shrugged and shook his shoulders before bringing his hands up in a combat stance. “Everyone has to learn how to defend themselves without depending solely on their Fox. That’s what I’m here for”

Their personal trainer in hand to hand combat, that’s how Coach had described Renee’s job inside the Foxhole Force circle and Neil had been skeptic at first but then he’d remembered the first conversation he’d had with the girls and Matt that day at the cafeteria and how if anyone would be able to take on Andrew it would be her. Then she’d landed the first punch and he hadn't needed any more convincing. Renee was good. Really good actually. If anything, she was the one that looked and moved like a ninja, jumping in and out of reach, performing complicated manouvers that rendered him either winded on the floor or winded in a choke hold.

The worst part was, Neil knew how to break away from those holds, and he knew how to jump in the air and perform a solid roundhouse kick. His brain knew all those things because his Fox knew them and because he’d done them just the week before when he’d been fighting Riko and his goons. But no matter how much he tried now, without the suit, he couldn’t even land a simple right hook.

Yes, that could have been the worst part. But then another chuckle reached his ears from the edge of the mat where everyone had gathered an hour ago to see how Renee kicked his butt. They even had popcorn and that, right there, was the worst part. Their incesant mocking.

"These are valuable life skills Neil" Allison mocked from her kneeling position on the floor.

Neil rolled his eyes and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Well, I don't see any of you training"

Seth scoffed. "Been there, done that"

"Which doesn't mean we don't get out fair share of sessions with good ol' Renee" Matt chirped in.

"Exactly who are you calling old?" Dan chastised on Renee's behalf but she soon got distracted by Matt's attention.

Neil's own focus was called back into the mat when Renee moved lightning speed fast and threw a punch towards his face. Neil ducked, just like she'd taught him, and he remembered to keep his face covered, just like she'd taught him, but he left his middle open, just like she _hadn't_ taught him and he found himself with a knee to the gut and an arm to the throat pinning him down to the mat after he'd lost his balance and fell.

Also, just like she'd taught him, he tapped out of the fight.

She let him go once his hand had touched the mat three times in quick succession but Neil stayed down trying to catch his breath. "Is it time yet?"

"It is" Matt said, coming into his field of vision and offering Neil a hand to get back up.

When the world righted itself up, he noticed the command centre had filled up with the remaining employees. The twins plus Nicky were making their way down from the Tower and Nicky's face fell when he saw both Neil and Renne taking off the tapes from around their hands.

"Oh no, did I miss it? Why didn't anybody wake me up?"

"We told you training was early" Dan replied already finding her way towards the computers where Neil's next course was waiting for him.

Seth patted Nicky's shoulder in mock sympathy. "You should've seen it. Neil got his butt roasted"

"Damn, I would've paid to see that"

It was the most Neil had ever seen the two men talking to eachother, and he wasn't sure how he felt about the fact they seemed to be bonding over his misery, but he dismissed the thought from his mind and glanced at the other two people next to Nicky.

Aaron wasn't really paying attention to him, or anyone else for that matter since he couldn't stop yawning for more than two seconds to actually look around him, but Andrew's gaze was firmly and unnervingly stuck on him. During his first week living at the Foxhole Court, Neil had found himself the target of Andrew's scrutinizing gaze more often than not. It was such a contrast to how his first week on the job had been, when the blond had opted to ignore him for the better part of their shift and only occasionally talked to him when the job required it. But ever since Neil had been recruited into the Foxhole Force as the Red Ranger, Andrew had been acting off with him. All mocking and curious and confrontational. Neil didn't mind the hostility much, he was used to it anyway and he never expected anything else from other people. Sometimes it was even more unnerving to put up with Nicky's bright personality or Matt's welcoming smile. But it was the curiosity that got to him because someone snooping around his secrets wasn't only unnerving, it was dangerous.

"Same time next Sunday?" Renee asked, effectively bringing him back from his thoughts and forcing him to break eye contact with Andrew.

"Am I ever gonna get another free day around here?"

"Training is important Neil" she replied and he swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat.

 _So is finding my mom_.

When he'd accepted the job as a janitor, he'd known he would have a busy schedule but he'd assumed he'd at least have some time alone to put his original plan in motion. But instead of spending all available hours into searching for his mother, he'd let himself be roped into a crazy world filled with unexpected duty calls and apparently long training sessions. He hadn't made a single phone call yet and he hadn't knocked on one single door.

He'd gotten distracted.

But now that he thought about it, he knew he couldn't keep ignoring the real reason he'd come into the city in the first place. As he went over to Dan who was waiting for him at the central monitors section, he resolved to get through this first Sunday training crash course and then find a way to get out of it for the rest of the week.

He couldn’t keep wasting time.

* * *

Everyone else scattered after that, since seeing Neil with his nose stuck on a computer was way less interesting than seeing his butt kicked repeatedly. Even Andrew disappeared from sight after a while, at least giving Neil a reprieve from the constant vigilance. If he didn't know any better, he would believe Andrew was the one waiting for Neil to suddenly rush up to him and insult him or punch him or something.

"Okay so, see this?" Dan said, pointing to some kind of scanned image of the Green Power Ranger on the screen. Matt, who had volunteered to help him and Dan during the next hour, had morphed into the Green Ranger and was stupidly flexing his arms around as Dan continued to explain. "This is how I monitor your vitals. The suit has sensors built in that let me know if your vitals are dropping or if you're in distress. This lets me see your energy level and if you're close to powering out due to lack of it"

"That could happen?"

She nodded. "If the suit gets too many discharges or if you're too weak from a fight, you'll detransform and you'll need some time to recuperate before morphing again, like recharging a battery"

"I thought the Foxes powered the suits"

"They do, but the connexion between you goes both ways. The Fox is powerful so he transfers his energy and strength into you. But on the other hand, if your body grows too weak, so will your Fox"

Neil filed that information away while Dan continued to rattle on facts about the suit and the different things the visor on his helmet could do.

"How am I doing babe?" Matt asked before reaching towards his head, unfastening something at the back of his neck and taking the helmet off.

"Wonderful babe"

"You can do that?" Neil asked amazed, going over to Matt over the desk and staring at his teammate who was now completely suited up sans the helmet.

"Oh, yeah. Totally. You know how stuffy it gets in there sometimes?"

"I thought it was just me"

"Oh no, it happens to all of us. You kind of learn to live with it after a while"

"Do you actually get used to this?" Neil asked, pointing to Matt's bright green attire.

"Boys"

"Yes and no" when Neil looked at him expectantly, the taller man continued. "It kind of loses novelty after a while but I don't think I'll ever get used to how amazing it feels to morph or the way Kit talks to me through it all"

"Kit?"

" _Boys_ "

"Yeah, my Fox. The Kit Fox. He's like—"

"Boys!"

They turned to Dan.

"We've got problems. Several problems" Neil and Matt rounded the desk to peer over her shoulders at the monitors. "It's Lieutenant Mureau again and he's not alone"

Sure enough, while they’d been talking, the monitors had picked up Raven activity somewhere in the city and Neil could now recognize Lieutenant Mureau without much difficulty. The fact he’d showed up again, alone or not, could only mean he was in the hunt for another Raven

"What is that thing?" Neil asked, because whatever was standing next to Lt. Mureau didn't look like a Raven, not that there weren't a pair of those running around scaring people left and right.

"Good question" Matt replied, all business-like now. "Send the signal" he told Dan and after a few keystrokes, all their communicators beeped at once.

It wasn't long until everyone made a reappearance, Coach included, and since the youth centre was closed, every employee made it to the command centre in record time.

Dan was quick to fill everyone in. "It's Mureau again. He's up by the mall and he's not alone"

"Coach, I've never seen creatures like that before" Allison said, giving Kevin a side glance while doing so. No one missed the subtle look and Kevin shook his head with a worried expression on his face.

"Neither have I" the taller boy said.

"Let's focus on one thing at a time" Coach replied. "Let's get to the scene first"

They nodded and everyone else made room for the Rangers to get in position. Matt was already set, so he stepped aside as well and fixed his helmet back on.

Neil didn't waste any time wondering who was supposed to call out their morphing time, he simply looked at Kevin and nodded for the other man to take point on this one like he'd been doing long before Neil arrived in the picture.

"Ready Rangers?"

"Ready!"

"Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha!"

This time Neil didn't miss a beat.

He was encompassed by the red energy in an instant and his body felt alive from head to toe, electricity running through his system until he was standing in the middle of the command centre with four other figures like him.

"Okay, let's go" Kevin said except the moment he took a step forward, Neil felt as if he was trying to walk through quicksand. All the energy he'd felt barely a second ago had left him as soon as it had come and Neil found himself sagging under the pressure of the atmosphere around him.

"What the f—" his vision flickered and the view of the room around him shifted between the look through his visor and the look through his uncovered eyes.

"Neil?"

When he brought his hands up to stare at them, he could see them flickering between the red suit and his slightly tanned skin. When he glanced at the rest of his body, he had the dizzying realization that the entire suit was flickering in and out of existence around him.

After a few more seconds of this, all red energy died down from his body and he was standing in the middle of the group looking like old regular Neil.

"What the fuck happened?" someone asked but he was too busy trying to get his breath back to acknowledge who it was.

"Dan, status report?"

"I... I don't know" she said, typing furiously into the keyboard. "The scan was active for like two seconds and then it shut down when he detransformed"

"Maybe he did it wrong?" Aaron asked but Seth was quick to answer.

"How can you morph wrong? No one can do that wrong"

Neil was about to snap something back when Kevin interrupted him before he could. "We don't have time for this. Neil, try again"

Neil let out a breath and touched the insignia on his morpher again. He mumbled the words quietly, no need to yell them out with everyone staring at him, and he felt just a flicker of energy before everything died down again.

"I don't know what's wrong" he said, feeling the hot tendrils of embarrassment coloring the back of his neck.

Muffled screams were heard through the monitors and Coach frowned before coming to a decision.

"Go" he told Kevin and the rest. "We'll send Neil once we figure out what's wrong with his morpher"

The Rangers nodded and filed out of the room through the hidden panel on the wall.

"Alright Neil" Coach said, standing in front of him with a studying gaze on his face. "Let's try this again"

* * *

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha”

“Again”

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha”

“Maybe if he added a little sentiment on the cry?”

“Shh!”

“One more time”

“Coach…” Neil complained, feeling like a freakshow with everyone’s eyes trained on him.

“Just one more time”

He sighed and repeated the words in the same monote voice he’d used before. “Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha”

Nothing happened, not even a spark of energy coming alive from within him.

Coach worried the bridge of his nose and finally relentend from their unsuccessful attempts. “Okay, okay. Let me think for a moment”

He was about to say something when Allison’s voice came from the speakers. “Guys, we’re at the scene!”

Dan worked her fingers over the keyboard while she found a better angle from the street cameras to show on the monitors what was happening at the mall.

“This is wicked” Seth exclaimed and Neil could do nothing but agree with him.

Next to Lt. Mureau, the strange looking creature was shooting… giant shopping bags at people, trapping them and rendering them unable to move so Mureau could calmly taste their blood and see if they were Raven material or not. The monster itself was a combination of a hideous face, a deformed body made of shopping bags and wrapping papers squeezed together uglily and hands the size of a small tree trunk. One punch from that and Neil wasn’t sure even the Rangers’ suit would protect them.

“Your priority is to free those people and stop Mureau from taking anyone back to the Nest” Coach directed over the mic on the desk. “Engage with caution, we don’t know what that thing is capable of”

“What about Neil?” Matt asked and all eyes turned to him once more.

“We’re working on it”

“But we need Neil to make the Foxes Blast” this time, Allison.

Kevin’s voice came through the speakers then. “We have our own weapons, we’ll have to do without him for now”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can” Neil found himself saying and he was surprised by how much he meant the words. As much as he wasn’t a fan of running head first into danger, he couldn’t help but feel like he was letting the team down somehow. He didn’t really think it was his fault the morpher wasn’t working —was it? But still, he didn’t appreciate having to sit this one out.

“Good luck, Rangers” Coach said before muting the mic. “Dan, scan the monster for weak spots and fighting patterns, whatever you can give the Rangers to help them”

“On it, but it’ll take a few minutes of actual battle before the computer can pick up anything valuable”

“Just get it running. Neil, ” the man said turning his attention back on him. “Let’s try it again”

And this time Neil did try, crying out the Foxhole Force call and tapping into the energy of the Fox inside him, but no matter how much he meant it, he was met with resistance anyway. He couldn’t morph.

Coach sighed and gestured towards his wrist. “Alright, give your morpher to Dan, let’s see if she can figure out what’s wrong with it”

Neil was about to take the wrist cuff off when Andrew’s voice sounded like a ghost somewhere to their left. It’s not like Neil had forgotten everyone else was still in the command centre, but no one had interrupted Coach or Dan as they figured out what to do next.

“What makes you think something’s wrong with it?” he sounded normal, at least his own brand kind of normal, but the words were packed with powerful meaning.

“What do you mean?” Dan asked and the blond shrugged.

“For all we know something could be wrong with him”

“ _Andrew_ , really, you can’t just go around saying stuff like—”

“No, no” Coach interrupted to everyone’s surprise but mostly Dan’s confused shock. “He may have a point”

“What?”

“Maybe we need to do a physical check over to make sure everything’s alright”

“Not what I meant” Andrew deadpanned but everyone ignored him in order to stare at Neil, who let out a chocked sound.

“ _Excuse me?_ ” a physical exam? Oh, that was so not happening. And just who the hell did Andrew think he was putting the thought into Coach’s head? Neil did not need a physical, he did not need—

"I didn't think I was too hard on you this morning. Was I?" Renee asked with a worried frown, effectively interrupting Neil’s internal tirade.

He shook his head rapidly and took a step away from the desk. "No, I'm fi—"

“Aaron, take him to medical and do a full physical exam” Coach ordered and the blond hopped from the desk he’d been perched on and nodded to the man.

“On it. This way Red”

“Now, wait a minute—”

“Neil, this is non-negotiable. You were supposed to get one from Abby this week anyway”

Neil wanted to keep protesting but Coach sounded serious enough to make him hesitate at the last moment. It was ingrained in him not to piss off adult men if he could help it, so he avoided Coach’s temper escalating any further and nodded his agreement.

“Leave your morpher here. We’ll see if there’s anything we can do”

The redhead nodded and unfastened the cuff from his wrist. It was scary how fast he’d accustomed to the presence of the Red Fox inside him and how unsettling it was to feel the Fox leaving his body to rest inside the morpher, alone. But Neil powered through the uncomfortable feeling of abandonment and handed the morpher to Dan.

“We’ll figure it out” the girl promised and Neil nodded solemnly before following Aaron towards the medical part of the room.

* * *

Neil hadn’t set foot into either medical room at the Foxhole Court yet, not the one on the ground floor destinated for the youth centre and not the one here, reserved for personnel only. It went without saying that he wasn’t a fan of doctors poking and prodding his body, but he specially wasn’t a fan of anyone, doctor or no doctor, even _seeing_ his body.

All that didn’t mean though, that when he walked through the opaque sliding doors, he wasn’t impressed by the state of the art equipment he saw there.

“This way” Aaron directed and guided him further into the room.

The place had five hospital grade beds next to each other with a rail for curtains on the ceiling between each of them. The pale blue curtains were currently pushed against the wall, but if they were drawn, they would isolate each bed into a private little room. Aaron went to the far end of the place, where there was also a desk, a monitor, a microscope, books, notepads and a coffee machine. Yes, a coffee machine.

“Okay,” the blond said, reaching into the top drawer of the desk and bringing out a pair of gloves. “I get that we’re on a clock here but we have to be as thorough as we can. Change into this”

Neil stared with distaste at the same pale blue color gown as the curtains that Aaron was currently waving in his face and his response was immediate. “No”

“Why?”

“Do whatever you gotta do but I’m not changing into that”

“Neil, I need access to your chest for an ECG, auscultating your lungs, taking measurements, searching for track marks, cataloguing possible scar tissue…”

Wait, wait, wait… track marks? “I do _not_ do drugs. I’ve never done drugs”

Aaron didn’t miss a beat at his edged tone, lifting an eyebrow before talking. “Then prove it”

But Neil shook his head stubbornly. “I’m not gonna let you see my body, you don’t need to do that for half the stuff you just said”

“Actually I do” the blond replied, completely unaffected by Neil’s uncooperation.

“Well, I don’t want you to. I’m telling you, I don’t have track marks”

He crossed his arms defensively over his chest. Since the moment he’d set foot in the city, he’d had to compromise so much. His mother’s lessons and warnings, his fear, his time, his freaking looks! But asking him to reveal his chest and put his scars on display would be by far the most dangerous compromise of all. His scars were like tattoos on his body, branded marks into his skin that would make anyone who knew him instantly recognize him. If word were to get out that there was a boy with an iron brand on his shoulder or a bullet wound in his chest working at the youth centre, then it would be entirely too easy to find him.

And as much as he’d allowed himself to be roped into the middle of the Force, it’s not like Neil actually trusted any of them yet. How was he supposed to just hand over one of his secrets to Aaron and hope the other boy wouldn’t say anything? He and Aaron hadn’t even exchanged more than a few words in the two weeks they’d known each other! How on earth was he supposed to just trust him?

“Neil” Aaron called softly and the redhead met his gaze defiantly. “You do remember where we work, right? What do you think I treat the kids in this place for? Inside this room you’re my patient, so whatever happens here stays here and all I’ll ever tell Coach is if you’re fit to go into the field or not”

Neil let out a scoff and uncrossed his arms to put a hand on either hip. “How hold are you anyway?”

“21”

“Are you even a doctor?”

“Well no, but—”

“Then you’re under no oath, how do I know you’ll keep your word? How do I know you even know what you’re doing?”

That seemed to have struck a nerve, because Aaron broke his professional demeanor for a second if only to stare self-sufficiently at him. "I am a certified EMT. I finished basic training last year and I'll start my advanced training this fall. I may not be a doctor but Coach wouldn't trust me with the kids if I didn't have the credentials to treat them. And Abby's taught me a lot too"

A certified EMT. Neil had to admit he hadn’t seen that one coming. "Well, I don't know Abby"

"That has nothing to do with me being qualified enough to treat you”

"There's nothing to treat anyway"

"That's what I'm supposed to find out"

"You don't need to—"

"Listen, asshole” the blond finally snapped and Neil shut his mouth in surprise. “The Rangers are out there fighting a fucking monster and they’re counting on you to be there. Now, in case you didn’t notice, you’re the reason the morpher’s not working and I was tasked with figuring out why. So you better just quit your moaning, change into the gown and let me do my fucking job so you can go out there and do yours and I’m sorry!” he finished with a breathless shout before regaining his composure. “I shouldn’t have called you an asshole in here. I’m your doctor and that was uncalled for”

Neil stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before pettily muttering under his breath, “Not a doctor” but there wasn’t any real heat under his words.

The blond glared at him anyway even though his voice was controlled and his demeanor completely professional once again. “Listen, I’ve had to patch up lots of screwed up shit in this place so whatever you’ve got going on under there, I can assure you I’ve seen a lot and I take my job seriously. I promise I will not tell anyone, so are we gonna do this or not?”

Now more than ever, Neil wished the spirit of the Red Fox was still inside him. Unlike how Matt had described it, the Fox didn’t so much talk to him as he _felt_ through him and Neil would’ve given anything for some guidance right now. If he was forced to trust someone, or something, anyone, it would be the Red Fox. But how could he really trust the Fox if they couldn’t even connect? And that was the whole reason why he was in this predicament in the first place, wasn’t it?

Neil hadn’t wanted to say anything out there in front of everyone but the last couple of times he’d tried to morph, he _had_ felt something, only that something was rejection, rejection from the Fox.

Maybe Neil had been right all along and he simply wasn’t cut out for this job. Maybe the Fox had realized during the week that choosing him had been a mistake. What if he couldn’t be the Red Ranger anymore? Would the team throw him out of the Tower? Would Coach fire him?

Suddenly the very real possibility of losing whatever ground he’d gained during these past few weeks was disheartening and yet again Neil couldn’t help but berate himself for it because he was growing way too attatched. So what if they kicked him out? Neil didn’t owe them anything and they would actually be doing him a favor since he should be either finding his mother or getting the hell out of dodge. He should find a job somewhere else, somewhere less complicated and dangerous but, for some reason, Neil couldn’t let go, which is why he ended up taking his clothes off and reaching for the gown.

To his credit, Aaron only stared for like a minute before clearing his throat and reaching for a stethoscope. “Sit on the bed”

He also appreciated the fact Aaron drew the curtain in case anyone decided to barge into the medical bay.

Neil wasn’t stupid. He knew that no matter how many ugly wounds Aaron had patched up in the past, it was hard not to be shocked by his scars. Neil didn’t particularly care if he was considered ugly or not, but showing the disgusting canvas of his torso still left him feeling vulnerable for reasons other than aesthetic.

When Aaron pressed the cold end of the stethoscope to his back, Neil couldn’t suppress a shudder.

“Inhale… exhale… again, inhale… exhale”

The whole process took a little while. Aaron made him lay on the bed and stuck electrodes all over his chest to monitor his heart, went through a series of reflex tests and even went as far as drawing a vial of blood to analyze later on. It was also fully registered that he had no damn track marks.

“Well, everything looks fine” the blond concluded and Neil rolled his eyes petulantly at him while changing back into his clothes.

“I told you”

“Which means the problem is either the morpher or your head”

“Come again?”

Aaron discarded the used gloves in a nearby trash can and rolled back in his chair to face him. “If the problem isn’t physical, then it might as well just be psychological, in which case I recommend you either talk to Dr. Betsy about it or your Fox”

“The shrink? She’s in on this?”

“Yeah, of course she is, and so is Abby. You’re missing the point”

“Well I don’t have time to go talking to a shrink right now” not that he ever would, “So how are we going to fix this in time to help the others?”

“I did say talk to your Fox, didn’t I?”

Neil lifted his eyebrows. “That’s your professional advice? Talk to the Fox?”

Aaron shrugged. “That’s all I’ve got. Everything else seems fine, so it’s worth a shot”

“I guess”

When they were about to reach the doors, Neil turned and pointed a finger at Aaron’s chest.

“About what you saw… you promised—”

“Yes, I did” Aaron said resolutely before Neil could even finish his sentence and though it was nothing but his word, Neil was reassured enough to nod and put his finger down.

When they walked out into the command centre again, they were immediately drowned in the sounds of the battle coming from the speakers and it didn’t sound pretty.

It didn’t sound pretty at all.

* * *

Despite the chaos that was coming from the monitors, the moment Neil stepped out of medical he felt Andrew’s scrutinizing gaze on him. The blond was leaning on the wall next to the sliding doors and he looked like he’d been waiting all this time for him and his brother to come out. He also eyed both Neil and Aaron up and down but at least he didn’t say anything, which was good, because Neil didn’t think he was in the mood to deal with Andrew’s odd behavior that day.

“What’s going on?” he asked after dismissing Andrew’s attention and walking closer to the central monitors where everyone else was worriedly looking at the fight.

“This monster is something else” Dan supplied, pointing at a scan of the monster’s bizarre body on a side screen. “It’s like he can create these attacks out of nowhere”

“The Rangers’ weapons can barely dent the thing, and it’s made out of paper!” Nicky added and Neil paid more attention to the screen.

He hadn’t noticed before, but each Ranger was holding some kind of weapon in their hands. Kevin was trying to slash at the monster’s back with a large blue staff, Allison was brandishing a whip, lashing out to get at the monster’s legs. Seth and Matt were a few feet away handling the Ravens with a yellow crossbow and what looked like a pair of green heavy boxing gloves. Lieutenant Mureau was off to the side watching it all happen.

“I should be out there” he commented after the monster sent Allison and Kevin flying through the air.

“Aaron, what did you find out?” Coach asked and for a moment everyone’s attention went from the monitors to the two of them standing side by side.

“Nothing. He’s completely healthy. Did Dan find anything on the morpher?”

The short haired girl shook her head and took the red leather cuff in her hands. “It’s all good as far as I can tell”

“Then what are we going to do? They guys need help!” Nicky exclaimed, earning a hand on the shoulder from Renee.

“I’m going out there” Neil found himself declaring after admittedly very little deliberation. If he was surprised himself by how much he didn’t want to leave the rest of the team hanging, he made sure not to show it.

But Coach’s jaw was set and his expression left no room for argument. “Absolutely not”

“Why not? They need help”

“You’re not going into the field without morphing, that’s out of the question”

“Coach is right, Neil. You don’t know how to fight unmorphed yet” Renee added and Neil crossed his arms over his chest.

“I can take care of myself” he said, glancing briefly at Aaron simultaneously hoping the blond would support his statement and yet be quiet about it. If there was one thing all his scars should tell, it was that he knew how to stay alive at least.

But though the shorter man didn’t mention the proof of his survival skills, he wasn’t exactly helpful either. “Let’s not forget about the whole secret identity thing. You can’t let Mureau see you”

“I can cover my face or something. I’ll be in disguise”

Then it was Andrew’s turn to be an unhelpful brat by letting out a snort and lifting an eyebrow challengingly. “Oh yeah? What color is your hair gonna be this time?”

“Well we have to do something!” Neil snapped, directing his words at Coach so he wouldn’t have to look at Andrew’s satisfied smirk again.

“You’re not going out there without morphing” the older man stated again and then they found themselves at an impasse Neil didn’t have the patience to withtand.

“Then give me the damn morpher and let’s try it again!”

He marched over to Dan and ripped the cuff from her hands. He put it on his wrist roughly and barely felt the presence of the Red Fox back inside him before putting his palm over the insignia.

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha!”

Nothing.

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. HA!”

“Neil…” Aaron tried but the redhead shut him down.

“Power Rangers, Foxhole Force—”

“Neil!”

“What?!”

“ _Talk”_ Aaron was looking pointedly at him and he was reminded of the blond’s advice inside the medical bay. Talk to the Fox, Aaron had said. Well, if he had already placed his trust in Aaron’s silence about his scars, he might as well just listen to him about this too.

Neil took a calming breath and trained his eyes back on Coach. He was still a little put out by how desperate he was to help the team, still not used to the feeling of duty and teamwork these stupid people had awoken in him. “I need a moment alone with the Red Fox”

Coach nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Do what you gotta do to fix this. But Neil, you’re not going out there until you do”

“Fine”

“I mean it”

And Neil sighed. “Yes, Coach”

He felt everyone’s eyes on him as he made his way upstairs and he didn’t let his posture slump until he was way out of sight. To be honest, he wasn’t entirely convinced with this plan but he tried not to be too discouraged about it. Whatever conflicted emotions he was dealing with now, he needed to push them aside and find a way to make this work. The rest of the team was counting on that.

So with a resigned sigh, Neil made his way into the bathroom of his dorm and perched himself in front of the mirror. He had a Fox to talk to.

* * *

Neil had to suppress a shudder when he found his own eyes in the mirror. The icy blue rim around his pupils and the dark red taint of his hair were cruel reminders of the life he was trying to escape. The past he was running away from.

His thoughts went back to the box dye he’d bought during the week, hidden away in his duffle bag at the bottom of his wardrobe along with the rest of his secrets. The only reason he hadn’t dyed his hair brown yet was the reluctance the Red Fox kept pushing into his mind every time he thought about it. He knew the Fox didn’t want him to hide his features but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why. Could he ask him now? The Fox had been living inside him for the past nine days and though they’d exchanged thoughts and feelings, Neil had never taken the time to just talk to him like Aaron wanted him to do now. Could that really be the reason the morpher wasn’t working?

As Neil stared at himself in the mirror, he wondered how exactly he was supposed to start this conversation.

 _I don't want to look like this_ , he said inwardly and waited for a response but the Fox was nowhere to be felt.

Even though the Red Fox had woken within him the moment he put his morpher back on, Neil could tell there was a new distance between them. But he reached out anyway, recalling that night at the motel where he’d seen the energy of the Fox enveloping him in the mirror and trying to bring the moment back to life.

 _Red_. He called through his mind. _Red_.

A low humming started in his chest, way too deep or perhaps just way too faint for him to pick up properly, but he took a hold of it anyway before the sensation got away and he sharpened his mind to the point he could almost see his own words materializing inside his brain.

_Come on, Red. Where are you? Red!_

Suddenly, the Fox was there. In the blink of an eye, the red aura of the Fox enveloped him and Neil was hit with the sudden harsh wave of the Fox’s emotions.

 _Anger, confusion, hesitation_.

It was safe to say Neil was in for one of the strangest conversations of his life.

“What the hell is going on?” he whispered out loud, distinguishing for the first time the shape of two small bright eyes somewhere in the middle of the Fox’s head around his own.

 _Sadness, loneliness, abandonment_.

Those were the feelings being projected into his very own soul.

Abandonment.

Neil remembered how merely minutes before trying to morph he’d been thinking about leaving, about not having more than a couple of months to search for his mother and then having to disappear for good, with or without her. About all of this being such a big waste of time. Was the Fox acting out because of that?

“You’ve been in my head. You know what’s coming for me. I can’t stay here”

_Rejection._

_Rejection._

_Rejection!_

Neil shook his head disheartedly. “You need to find someone else”

 _Denial_.

“What else do you want from me!?” he asked in a sudden show of desperation, all the compromises he’d already made weighting heavily on his conscience.

 _Trust_.

The Fox was asking for trust.

Then, another wave of feelings was being pushed to the forefront: _protection, understanding, family. Home_.

The Red Fox wanted to protect him, but he needed Neil’s trust to do that.

“I already have a family”

 _Wrong_.

“You can’t ask me to choose”

Silence.

Neil waited a few seconds, but the Fox remained impassive. He was also beginning to fade.

_Red?_

_She’s important too. I have to find her, she’s all I’ve got._

Nothing.

_What about the others then? Red!_

But the Fox was already gone, retreated so far back into his soul that he could barely feel it at all. Now all Neil was left with were his own feelings of anger and impotence and he had to restrain himself from lashing out at the mirror.

 _Fine. Fine!_ He thought angrily as he stormed out of the bathroom and back into the livingroom. The Fox didn't want to help the others? Fine! Neil would find a way to do it himself. He paced the length of the room back and forth as he tried to come up with a plan. Fighting unmorphed was something he could figure out once that bridge got closer, but for now, the others downstairs were right: Neil couldn't very well just march into the fight looking like himself. He needed a disguise. His eyes landed on the coffee table in front of the couch. There were a pair of sunglasses thrown haphazardly over it and he suddenly knew what to do.

Taking a hoodie from his bag, he put on the sunglasses and fastened the strings of the hoodie as tight as they would go around his face. No hair was left visible and the glasses were dark and big enough to hide his eyes and upper cheeks. Catching his reflexion on a nearby window, he thought he looked positively ridiculous but his features were hidden and that was all that mattered.

When his eyes landed beyond the window and into the fire escape he allowed himself the luxury of a satisfied smirk. The others wouldn’t even know he was gone until it was too late.

Neil got in motion before his paranoid brain could bombard him with all the reasons he shouldn’t be doing this, because for the life of him he couldn’t understand why he was willing to risk everything he’d ever been taught to protect just to help out a bunch of strangers.

But that was the thing, wasn’t it? They weren’t strangers anymore. They were Neil’s coworkers and they were his team because also, apparently and misguidedly, Coach thought he was supposed to lead them. Weren’t leaders supposed to go down for their teams? His mother would take his head off if she ever knew he was thinking like that.

So Neil shook his head, opened the window and climbed out into the fire escape. If he survived his little desperate endeavor, he’d take the time to analyse just why the hell he suddenly felt the need to put himself at risk on other people’s behalf. Right now, there were places to be and monsters to defeat.

* * *

If things had looked chaotic from the command centre, it was nothing compared to how it was at the actual scene. The problem wasn't so much the Ravens or Lieutenant Mureau, who continued to be at the edge of the fight, watching without interfering how the Rangers struggled to fight back. Not that he needed to intervene at all since the monster was doing a pretty good job of keeping the Rangers at bay. Once in a while Mureau walked closer to one of the people trapped under the strange shopping bags and sank his talons into their flesh to taste their blood. So far Neil didn’t think he’d found a new target, but they needed to end this madness soon and send the Ravens back to their nest.

“Kevin!” Allison yelled and Neil’s attention was snapped back from Mureau and into the team.

The monster had managed catch the Blue Ranger in a string of wrapping paper and Kevin lost the grip on his weapon. The blue staff hit the ground at the same time Kevin cried out in pain when the paper tendril connecting him to the monster was electrified. Sparks flew out of Kevin’s suit and it was clear that the only thing keeping him upright now was the monster’s hold on him.

Allison acted quickly though. She brought her whip down at the middle of the electrified tendril, effectively snapping it in half and freeing Kevin, who fell to the ground in a heap along with the remnants of the tendril. He sluggishly took them off, but he stayed on the ground panting heavily.

Neil saw his opportunity then.

He was unprotected and unarmed, the only way he could help the Rangers was to distract the monster long enough for them to regroup and for Kevin to get his breath back. So he ran the rest of the way to the mall entrance where the battle was taking place, ran straight past Kevin and Allison, and picked the blue staff from the ground. He had braced himself in case touching the staff sent a discharge of energy through his body, but holding it felt like holding a perfectly normal broomstick. It wasn't even that heavy.

"What the hell?" Allison yelled. "Ne— Is that you?"

But Neil didn't have time to answer, because the monster had also seen him dive into the action and running towards him with the raised staff. The paper tendrils started flying towards him them.

"Who are you!?" screamed the monster as Neil deflected one of the tendrils with Kevin's staff. It was strange how the things were in fact made of paper but as they connected with the staff, they felt like hitting stone. Despite the danger of getting caught by them, since he was pretty sure his unmorphed body wouldn't survive the electricity discharge, Neil felt exhilarated.

Zigzagging to avoid the tendrils as he ran closer to the monster made him feel like he was in an exy court running through backliners to reach the goal. Even the staff felt more like a racquet than a simple stick, the pointy end sharp enough to make sparks fly whenever it touched the monster's tendrils, the weapon sure as hell feeling like a layer of protection where the Red Fox had left him practically bare.

"Stop! You're too faaaaast!" the monster yelled and he brought his arms up to protect his face when Neil finally reached him but not in time to avoid a vicious slash across one eye. The monster bellowed and faltered a few steps back, allowing Neil to retreat unattacked back to where Allison had helped Kevin back to his feet.

Panting and with his heart beating wildly in his throat, Neil offered the blue staff back to Kevin.

" _Neil_ , just what... what the hell are you wearing?" Allison asked in awe but Neil couldn't be sure if it was because of his performance or his terrible disguise.

"You're welcome" he answered instead while Kevin took his staff back.

"Just so you know" Kevin said, voice strained but grateful, if Neil dared say so himself. "Coach is screaming our heads off right now"

He shrugged. "You need to take out the monster together, that's how we've done it before"

It was impossible to see either of their faces because of the helmets, but their expressions weren’t hard to guess by the tone of their voices. "In case you didn't notice, we're not all _together_. _You_ need to morph"

"Well, that's not happening any time soon so you need to figure it out"

Another bellow had them turning to face the monster again who had recovered from Neil’s attack and was fuming daggers in their direction. Neil turned back to Kevin and held the taller man’s sight with an urgent wave of his hands.

"Kevin, divide and conquer doesn't always work. You won battles before I got here. Do it again"

Allison readied her whip and took a step in front of Neil, shielding him from any potential attack. Kevin seemed to be lost in thought, glancing between the monster, Mureau and the Ravens Matt and Seth were fighting against.

Eventually and before the monster could attack them again, he nodded and grabbed Allison’s arm to pull her along. "Alright. Come on"

He didn’t prompt Neil forward because the readhead was already on their hills as Kevin guided them towards the rest of the team. Seth and Matt were handling the Ravens as best they could, and they were doing a good job of it, but the creatures had kept them busy enough to stay divided and away from the other two. But if there was something Neil had learned from the first few times he’d morphed, it was that as soon as the Rangers worked together and combined their attacks, the Ravens didn’t stand a chance.

“Guys!” Allison called, helping Matt push against one Raven while Kevin did the same for Seth.

“Neil! The hell are you doing here? Can you morph yet?” asked Matt but before Neil could answer back, the broader man let out a huff. “Never mind. Coach says to get your unmorphed butt back to the centre”

“And Andrew says you look stupid” Seth added a little breathless as finally the five of them reunited to take a stand against the monster and the Ravens.

Neil merely rolled his eyes.

The paper bag monster was spitting profanities towards them and the Ravens had perched at either side of him. Neil pushed Seth and Matt’s shoulders to turn around and face the threat while sending another pointed look at Kevin.

“Together” he said and then stepped out of the way.

While the Rangers charged and attacked the monster two and sometimes three at a time, Neil set himself to free the poor people trapped in the bags.

He must have looked ridiculous with the sunglasses and the hood tied around his face, but people seemed relieved to see someone actively trying to get them free.

He was halfway through ripping the paper around a woman when her eyes widened and she whimpered in fear. Neil turned around in an instant.

“Oomph” but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the open palm strike to the chest that sent him flying backwards to land heavily in the floor. He coughed and scrambled away from Lieutenant Mureau, who kept advancing with a pissed expression on his face.

“Playing hero?”

Neil finally scrambled to his feet and silently faced off against him.

Mureau scoffed. “Bad day to do so” and he struck.

Only reflexes and his ingrained need to survive had him avoiding the Raven’s slash but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to dodge Mureau forever. The others were busy, nobody was coming to save him like the first time so he had to find a way to get Mureau off his back.

His eyes caught the remaining paper bags from one of the people he’d freed and his body was diving down to grab it before his mind knew what to do. When he straightened up, he waited for Mureau to slash at him again to duck, wrap the paper around his arm and twist it painfuly behind his back. Mureau screeched but Neil had only a second of satisfaction before the Raven’s unnatural strength won out against his and the hold was broken. Mureau turned around and punched him in the face, a very good old fashioned human fist to the face. But even though Mureau had kept his talons out of it, the strength behind the punch was still the one from a Raven, and Neil’s vision blackened for a moment as he crashed dissoriented to the ground, the whole right side of his face pulsing in time to the frantic beating of his heart. Also, the sunglasses broke.

He had at least the good sense of keeping his head down, facing the ground and covering his face by holding a hand to it. Not that he did it to hide his identity but because he felt like if he took his hand away, his whole face would fall right off his head. That’s how much it hurt.

As Mureau advanced, Neil crawled pathetically away from him. He couldn’t help but regret ever feeling bold enough to risk his own life to help the others. What was he thinking? Everyone was right! He couldn’t face the Ravens unmorphed. One good hit and he was done for. But what else was he supposed to do? The team had needed him, they had!

As he tried to convince himself that what he’d done hadn’t been colossally stupid or that, at least, it had been for a noble cause, Lieutenant Mureau raised his hand again, only this time the talons shone brightly up in the air. The only reason Neil knew that it was because he could see their shadow on the floor underneath him.

Distantly he heard the others shouting. They had finally realized that Neil was in trouble but the redhead knew they were too far away to do anything in time. The shadow of Mureau’s talons seemed to grow as they descended in an arch towards Neil and he instinctively raised both arms to protect himself knowing it’d be futile. The talons connected and Neil felt a painful shock of electricity hit his body.

“No!”

“Neil!”

Static filled his ears.

“Oh my God. Neil!”

“Is he dead?”

“Neil!”

“For the love of God, someone go see if he’s alive!”

“I’m alive” Neil said as he stood up from his hunched position on the ground and looked at the heap that was Lieutenant Mureau on the ground. He also stared at his hands, his _gloved_ hands and his red forearms and the same bright color around his whole body. Somehow, the second before Mureau attacked him, the Red Ranger suit materialized around him with a shock of energy that sent the Raven flying backwards and protected him from certain death. Neil was amazed he’d managed to survive that but, more than anything, he was scarily relieved to feel the presence of the Red Fox inside him, neither faint nor hidden.

 _Here_ , the Fox said through a wave of feelings pushed his way. _Protected, safe, together_. By the time he had to answer the rest of the voices inside his helmet, he had to swallow the lump in his throat first.

“Neil! You okay?” the others rushed to his side the moment they saw the Red Ranger standing there and Neil allowed them to pat him on the back and welcome him into the Force again.

He nodded and took position in the middle of the group facing the monster and the Ravens. “Let’s get this over with. Coach would like to rip my head off sometime today”

They could all hear the man ranting and confirming Neil’s words through their helmets, but they followed his lead anyway and raised their weapons once more.

As Kevin, Matt and Allison charged the monster with renewed energy, Seth stood behind with Neil.

“What are you waiting for?” the other Ranger asked.

“Umm…”

“Your weapon. You wanted a crash course? You’re getting a crash course”

“Right. How do I do this?”

Seth showed him his own weapon, the yellow crossbow, and shrugged his shoulders. “Just think about your weapon materializing in your hand, call to it like you call on your morphing and grab it before its energy passes by”

It sounded simple enough, except it wasn’t. Neil looked at the others’ weapons. The blue staff, the pink whip, the green gloves. The yellow crossbow. “I don’t even know what my weapon looks like”

Seth was already running into the fight when he turned one last time to yell over the noise around them. “It’s whatever suits you the best!” and then he was gone.

Neil ignored the voices in his helmet telling him to hurry up and tried to reach into the knowledge his Fox provided him with. There was nothing about a red weapon anywhere in his mind. What was he supposed to do, come up with one on his own? He thought about Seth’s words: whatever suited him best… the image of a knife came unbidden to the forefront of his mind but he shuddered it away. Knives reminded him of his father, of Lola, of himself as the one person he never wanted to be again, Nathaniel. No, his weapon wasn’t a knife.

Then he remembered picking up Kevin’s blue staff. The weapon hadn’t felt quite right in his hands. Too light and too… blue. But the feeling of wading through threats and bringing the staff down on them had reminded him so much of exy, of an exy racquet. Suddenly, Neil knew what he wanted.

 _Do you agree?_ He asked his Fox once the mental image had been formed. If he hadn’t been able to keep the sport in his life, he could at least get to keep the feeling of it every time he used his weapon.

 _Acceptance_.

Neil grinned.

He tapped into the energy of the Fox and called out with all his might, for the first time not feeling completely embarrassed by it. “Red Staff!”

A rush of energy passed through his arm and before it could escape him like Seth had said, he closed his fist around the long cilindrical weapon and the staff was suddenly in his hand. It was slightly heavier than Kevin’s, the sharp point wasn’t only on one end but on both of them and Neil realized his weapon could be separated in half so he could brandish two smaller staffs at the same time. It was also bright red and long enough to reach his head.

“Awesome” he murmured and then wasted no time. He joined his team at the heart of the battle.

Tapping into his inner player, Neil jumped around the monster, in and out of his reach, and brought his weapon down on it. Whenever more than one Ranger did the same, the monster faltered a little bit more and his attacks were getting sloppier and sloppier. The Rangers were gaining ground.

“Guys!” he yelled to call their attention and once he had it, he pointed his staff at the monster once more. “All at the same time!”

“You got it!”

“Ready!”

“Got it!”

“Let’s do this!”

Arranged in a circle around the monster, the Rangers brought their weapons down at the same time, Seth’s arrows being the last to reach their target and giving the finishing touch to their combined strike. With a painful yell, the monster exploded into a fireball of sparks and left only the charred spot behind him.

The pair of Ravens were quick to follow and soon enough, the threat had been more than dealt with.

With the sharp end of their staffs, Neil and Kevin set out to free the remaining people trapped under the bags and it didn’t take more than a few minutes for the situation to be completely under control.

“Guys… where’s Mureau?” Allison asked and they looked around for the Raven Lieutenant only to come up empty handed.

It was Dan that answered the question. “Cameras picked him up leaving shortly before you fried the monster”

“Coward” Seth spat but no one commented on that.

“Let’s get out of here” Matt said and everyone readily agreed.

When they were on their way back to the youth centre and before they detransformed, Neil reached out to the Fox inside him.

 _Thank you_.

A warm feeling spread through his chest.

_Are we okay now?_

But that was was far as he got. The warm feeling lingered just a second longer before leaving him cold and silent. Alone once more.

Neil frowned. That was not what he’d been expecting. But he didn’t have time to get into it with the Fox again because as soon as they re-entered the command centre, Coach planted himself in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest and an angry frown on his face.

“Josten! My office, now!”

Well, that couldn’t bode well for him.

* * *

_You realize that was inmature and irresponsible, right? You disobeyed a direct order! You put yourself at risk. What if you’d been hurt badly? What if you’d been killed? Then we’d have no Red Ranger and no Red Fox! Are you sure Mureau didn’t see your face? You need to learn how to fight unmorphed before you go out picking a fight with every damn Raven on the planet! But also… you did what any team leader would have done, so I’m proud of you but this is the last time you pull something like this, you hear me? We can’t afford to lose you, Neil. Now get out of here and make sure Aaron checks that eye out. I’m going home._

Neil hadn’t done such thing, deeming his time at the medical bay earlier with Aaron more than enough to last him for a while. What he had done was get out of Coach’s office faster than a rabbit running away from a predator. Instantly, Neil cursed at the rabbit reference he’d undoubtedly picked up from Andrew and inwardly fretted about the things Coach had said to him.

To say that Coach had been mad would be the understatement of the year. The man had ranted at Neil for the better part of an hour before he’d been dismissed, but Neil wasn’t worried about the man berating his impulsive decision. No. He was worried because of what the man had said later.

_I’m proud of you._

_You did what any team leader would have done._

Well… damn. Neil hadn’t been after anyone’s praise and the unfamiliar warm feeling in his chest at the words only served to remind him how dangerous it was to get attatched to people. Suddenly Neil cared about what Coach thought of him as a Ranger and he cared about helping his team as a leader. And just when the hell had he started thinking about them as his team?

As he reached the top floor of the Foxhole Court, said team minus Kevin was on its way out for a late lunch. With the whole Raven attack thing none of them had had any chance to eat and it was nearing 3 p.m.

Neil declined their invitation to go out with them, apparently a mexican restaurant was involved, and he saw as Matt, Allison, Seth, Dan and Renee walked down the hall and disappeared down the stairs. He didn’t care to ask them where the others were since he doubted they would be eating together anyway. Neil had the impression that if it weren’t for their jobs, and not precisely the youth centre job, neither of the groups would even talk to each other.

As he stepped into the bathroom and saw himself in the mirror once again, he winced at the sight of the bruise on his face. His upper cheek and the underside of his eye were nearly black, and it was a miracle his nose hadn’t been broken by the strength of Mureau’s hit. It wasn’t even sporting blood. Neil pressed a finger gently into the dark purple skin and hissed at how fast pain flared up in it. The bruise would last for weeks, he was sure.

With a heavy sigh, Neil went to undress to finally step into the shower when a knock on the front door stopped him. With an annoyed groan, he readjusted his hoodie to open the door and come face to face with none other than Andrew, who was standing nonchalantly with a sports bag hung over one shoulder.

“You and me, at the gym. Now”

Neil lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Didn’t Coach tell you? It’s part of your training 101”

“I think I’ve had enough training for one day”

“Not my problem”

Andrew was being his usual apathetic self and Neil didn’t really have the patience to deal with him right now. He was tired and sore, and he still needed to figure out what the hell was going between him and his Fox. Another crash course, and with Andrew none the less, just wasn’t a good idea.

“I’m not training with you right now” but the blond wouldn’t be deterred and though he didn’t sound amused, his words were as mocking as they’d been all week.

“I wasn’t asking, Rabbit” Neil scowled at the name but Andrew continued before he could complain about it. “We wouldn’t want you to disobey Coach’s orders again, now would we?”

The words only reminded him of his own thoughts and the scowl he gave Andrew then wasn’t so much directed at him than it was at himself. “What are you supposed to teach me anyway? How to stare the Ravens down until they die?”

“Funny” the blond said without any trace of humor in his voice and he turned around to walk away, not even checking if Neil would follow.

Cursing Andrew for being such an arrogant prick, Neil followed.

“Where’s your group?” he asked once they descended the stairs to the command centre and there was no one around.

“Out”

Neil didn’t ask again after that.

They reached the ground floor where the youth centre was closed for the day and Andrew guided the way towards the isolated gym. The place was never packed to begin with but seeing it completely empty and dark was kind of sad. The blond turned on the lights and gestured for Neil to walk closer.

“Why aren’t we doing this upstairs?” there was a whole corner of the floor above destined for training after all.

“There’s no punching bag upstairs”

“So you’re teaching me boxing?”

“I’m teaching you how to throw a proper punch” he said at the same time he sent a powerful jab into the bag, making the thing rattle where it hang.

“Did Coach force you into this? I didn’t think you’d be one to volunteer with my training” Neil asked just to be annoying, but he wasn’t expecting the dark tint Andrew’s otherwise neutral expression got.

“Nobody forces me into anything”

 _Oookay_ … “So why are you doing this?”

“Because I’m the only one who’s gonna teach you how to fight dirty” Neil rolled his eyes at that. Dirty fighting lessons with Andrew? What could go wrong?

After that, Andrew walked Neil through the correct posture and the movement of the hips to send a powerful front jab at someone’s throat.

“Raven or no Raven, you’re gonna want to go for the throat. Make them choke in their own spit”

Neil didn’t see what was so dirty about that, since he’d done a lot worse in his time as a runaway, but he didn’t mention that and simply followed Andrew’s instructions. The thing is, it wasn’t like Neil didn’t know anything about fighting, he wouldn’t have survived so long after all if he didn’t. Though it was true he’d relied more on weapons over the years, guns and knives, his mother, he wasn’t a stranger to hand to hand combat. It’s just he wasn’t particularly skilled at it. He didn’t have technique or finesse, if someone could even have finesse while fighting. But as he’d learned that morning with Renee, there was more to fighting than just throwing fists and avoiding hits. There were a lot of complicated manouvers and proper body posture involved in the process. Apparently, Andrew was a sucker for those kind of details because he was channeling his inner Coach Kevin voice and wasn’t afraid to let Neil know when he was doing something wrong.

“Not like that… move your hips… let go of your thumb, you’ll break it… could you be any more useless?... Your hips!” Neil sincerely hoped the blond never corrected the kids at the centre like that when he subbed for the other coaches, not that he’d ever had evidence of it, but still.

Neil’s hackles raised when Andrew let out an annoyed huff at the uptenth time he had to remind him to _move your hips, idiot_ and put himself right behind Neil, placing a hand at either side of him and mimicking how he was supposed to move his hips to make his strike that much more powerful. Andrew moved Neil’s hips with ease and the redhead had to force himself not to lash out and back away from him. He didn’t like his personal space being invaded and he sure as hell didn’t appreciate having his back so close to someone else. But thankfully Andrew didn’t linger and after showing him the right way to move his hips twice, he stepped away and went back to holding the punching bag Neil was practicing on.

Sweat had begun to pool on his brow and clothes, and he was sure he smelled absolutely horrible since he hadn’t had the chance to shower since his morning session with Renee, but if Andrew had to endure his body odor for an hour, then Neil thought he deserved it.

“You get five minutes” the blond said when Neil asked for a break and he was so tired he didn’t even find it in himself to be petty at how short the break was.

When Andrew offered him a water bottle he fished from his bag, Neil even found it in himself to forgive him.

“Is this gonna take much longer?” he asked when Andrew told him to get back on his feet. Neil must have been more tired than he’d thought, because his legs felt a little weak and he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

Andrew’s face finally broke out of its neutral expression to show the mocking grin he’d been sporting almost all week. “Not much longer now”

Neil took another step and the world tilted again.

Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

Andrew walked closer to him without Neil even noticing and took the water bottle from his strangely tingling hand, and recapped it before Neil could let it drop to the floor. When he tried to take a step back, it was him who almost became a mess on the ground.

Andrew steadied him though, a hand clasping his shoulder while the other pinched his chin in place. “Not long at all” he repeated and a sick realization hit Neil like a tornado on his stomach, or maybe that was just the nausea, because one glance at the water bottle thrown back into the bag and the satisfied look in Andrew’s eyes and Neil understood, too late, just what was happening to him.

“You drugged me?!”

If there was one thing Neil learned right then, it was that he didn’t like the manic smile on Andrew’s face and that no matter what he should not, could not, trust Andrew Minyard.

“Now we can talk”

* * *

“Are you fucking crazy?” Neil spat as the world moved around him and Andrew came in and out of focus. He winced when Andrew’s hold on his face tightened and his fingers pressed on the skin near the bruise on his cheek.

“I’ll be asking the questions now”

When Andrew released him, Neil had to fight to maintain his balance. Whatever the blond had given him was acting fast, because Neil’s thoughts were scrambled and he couldn’t put a foot straight after the other to make his way towards the exit. Not that Andrew would have let him anyway. “Everyone was right. You _are_ a monster”

Andrew rounded him and Neil followed his movements in a circle, getting dizzier and dizzier as he moved but unwilling to leave his back opened to Andrew again.

“I never claimed I wasn’t” the blond replied, helping to spin Neil along with a hand on his shoulder.

“Fuck” the redhead almost hurled at the motion but when he went to grab into Andrew out of instinct to prevent the fall, the other boy punched him in the gut and Neil lost his fight against gravity. Andrew kept him up though.

“See how I used my hips there?” he mocked and if Neil could have, he would have hit him back.

As it was though, he was barely able to breathe. “What… what do you fucking… want?”

“Tell me, does lying become easy over time?”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

“I asked you once, I’ll do it again. Why are you here in Palmetto?” Neil groaned and managed to push away from Andrew without falling spectacularly on his ass.

“That’s none… of your business” but Andrew followed him and clasped a hand around his throat. He wasn’t squeezing, but the threat of having his oxygen supply cut off was there none the less.

“Really now? You show up out of nowhere, trying to disguise yourself with cheap hair dye, a few ratty clothes and no past whatsoever. Riko marks you but instead we do-gooders got to you first and now you get one Fox spirit all for yourself. Convenient, huh?”

“You… you think I’m a Raven spy?” had Andrew lost his mind?

“What else if not?”

This time, Neil did try to pry the blond’s fingers from around his neck. “That’s crazy, I’d never seen Riko before in my life”

“But how can I trust the words of a liar?”

“I’m not lying!”

Neil was fed up with the whole thing. Andrew was making too many questions and it was only a matter of time before his drugged brain couldn’t separate the truth from all the lies. If he let this go on for much longer, he could end up spelling all his secrets. So he decided to fight back. Drugged and dissoriented as he was, he put a hand on Andrew’s chest and squeezed a fistful of his shirt, pinching some skin in the process while still trying to dislodge the hold on his throat. What he got in return was another painful fist to the face that made him see stars and had tears springing from his eyes. Andrew had hit him square on the black eye.

“ _Don’t_ touch me again” he had at least let go of him enough for Neil to stumble back into one of the weight machines.

Neil could barely see a thing now through his blurry right eye but he could distinguish enough to see Andrew breathing heavily and openly glaring daggers at him. Interesting, Neil thought, but he couldn’t dwell too much on the blond’s uncharacteristic display of disarray because the interrogation started again. This time though, Andrew didn’t seem eager to shorten the distance between them.

“Why the disguise then? If you’re running away from something, I wanna know what it is. You’re not staying here otherwise”

“And since when do I need your permission?” Neil retorted between clenched teeth. He also swallowed a couple of times to quench the nausea.

Andrew’s answer was unexpected. “Since my family lives here and you’re not about to put them in danger”

“They’re already in danger! You guys fight Ravens for God’s sake!” but Neil didn’t really believe that, did he? Andrew was asking scarily accurate questions and that, more than anything, had Neil’s mind working overtime. If his father or his people ever found him, Neil had no doubt anyone who’d ever helped him would suffer the consequences. Andrew wasn’t too far off but unless Neil found a way to end this interrogation now, he would end up spilling everything and then Andrew would never let him stay.

The blond continued talking, unaware of a desperate plan already taking root in Neil’s brain. “Exactly, and your Fox seems to be rejecting your ass. So either you’re a Raven scum or you’re a useless Ranger. Either way, you being unable to morph puts the team at risk and that, in turn, puts the city, me and mine at risk”

“You’re unbelievable”

“Answer the question, Neil, if that’s even your real name”

Fuck! This was so not good. “It doesn’t… It doesn’t even matter anyway, I’ll be out of here in two months”

Andrew’s brow furrowed. “Explain”

“What do you care? You want me gone, I’ll be gone soon”

“So you are running from something. What is it? Who is it? Where are you from? Where are you going to go? Why two months? Why did you come here in the first place? Why Palmetto?”

“My mo— shit!” so many fucking questions! The drug in his system was loosening his tongue enough as it was and Neil was finding it harder to keep his answers vague and undetailed. The more Andrew talked, the more he knew what he needed to do. Making a run for it was out of the question with how unsteady he was. Fighting Andrew and winning was simply not a likely scenario. The only thing he could think of to stop himself from talking was to not be awake at all to run his mouth. Despite the pain it would bring him, Neil’s only option was for Andrew to get so mad at him he would beat the crap out of him until he was unconscious.

Neil grimaced but readied himself while he thought of how to make Andrew lose his shit on him.

 _Don’t touch me again_.

He sighed. This would hurt.

As Andrew continued to try and pry answers from him, Neil took advantage of his distracted opponent to launch himself at him. He made it look like he was merely trying to straighten up from the weight machine and failing miserably at keeping his balance, but when Andrew reached his arms up in reflex, Neil slammed into him as a bull and made them both stumble backwards. Only Andrew’s sturdy physique prevented them from tumbling to the ground in a heap of limbs. Being this close, Neil put a hand on either side of Andrew’ waist and squeezed for all he was worth.

He didn’t think his plan would work out that well.

He was expecting the blows, but the strength Andrew put behind each one was still surprising. With a growl, Andrew sent a knee to Neil’s stomach and another punch to his face. The redhead fell to the ground, the pain on his face like a wall of fire on his cheek. Then he reached his hand out again, intent on finding more flesh but Andrew was ready this time and at the threat of another unwanted touch, he sent a fist square to Neil’s temple and that was all it took.

The redhead fell unconscious to the ground and though this wasn’t a permanent solution, at least his secrets were safe. For now.

* * *

Neil woke up to a pounding headache and whispered voices behind a curtain. He recognized the medical bay at the command centre and suppressed the groan he wanted to let out at the sight. He didn’t want to alert whoever was behind the curtain of his return to consciousness yet, wanting instead to know what the people behind it were whispering about.

"... unbelievable! What if there had been an attack and he was drugged and passed out?" it was Coach's voice and he could only assume the person he was talking to was Andrew.

Neil took a moment to assess himself. His body was tired and sore, but he didn't think that was a product of the drugs more than it was the result of an unbelievably long day. There were no windows on the medical bay but Neil could assume he'd been unconscious for at least a few hours. Unless he'd been knocked out for a whole day, he was pretty sure it was still Sunday. The right side of his face felt tight and swollen and his vision was still blurry through his right eye.

Neil sighed inaudibly and focused back on the conversation.

"Now, I understand your concerns Andrew. I do. But the Red Fox chose him. You know how that works, the Fox wouldn't have chosen him if he wasn't worthy of it"

"He's a liar"

"Aren't we all? Everyone has secrets Andrew. Now, when he wakes up you're gonna freaking apologize and you have to promise me you'll never pull something like this again on him"

There was silence for a whole minute and Coach had to prompt Andrew to talk. "Promise me"

"I _promise_ "

The curtain was removed then but Neil fought the startle and simply stared at the both of them.

"Good, you're awake" Coach said but he didn't sound happy at all. Instead, he was sporting the same scowl on his face as when he was berating Neil earlier for disobeying his orders.

Neil sat up straighter in bed, not willing to appear vulnerable in front of anyone else today. "How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Nausea?"

"I'm fine" he replied with a scowl of his own. He didn't want to believe Coach had ordered Andrew to _train_ him, but he also wasn't about to trust anyone other than himself right now.

Coach didn't seem deterred by his cool demeanor though and addressed the both of them then. "Listen now you two, whatever's going on here needs to be sorted out now 'cause I won't have anyone holding grudges in my team. Is that clear?"

Neither Andrew nor Neil said a word but the older man wasn't having any of it. He cleared his throat and levelled them with a hard gaze. "Is it clear?"

"Yes Coach" Neil said at last, if only to get the man off his back.

Before turning around to leave, Coach pointed a finger at Andrew's nose. "Fix this" he ordered and Neil's eyes widened un surprise.

"You're leaving me with him?"

He caught Andrew's smirk but the blond remained silent. Coach nodded and turned before he left. "He promised not to hurt you again"

"Oh, he promised?"

"His word's good" and then he was gone, leaving a stunned Neil behind.

Neil got up from the bed, waiting a second to see if there was any dizziness but the world felt solid enough and he squared his shoulders to face the blond man.

Before he could even get a word out, Andrew spoke first. "I won't apologize" he stated and Neil knew they weren't off to a good start. "And before we get started, lets get something straight. Touch me again and I'll kill you"

 _Wha_ — the nerve of this guy!

" _Drug_ me again and I'll be the one killing _you_ " he retorted, matching Andrew's stance and crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you do that?"

"I already told you, I don’t trust you"

"Well I don’t trust any of you either but you don’t see me going around drugging people"

"No, you just lie to them"

"What the hell is your problem?"

"You’re not staying here unless you give me something true. I'm still waiting for an answer"

"I already told you I'm not a Raven spy. There's nothing else you need to know"

"You came to Palmetto for a reason. You're gonna tell me why" Neil was tired, and hungry, and smelly and he was fed up with Andrew's questions and attitude. The other boy had been a pain in his ass all week and unfortunately Neil didn't think he'd be stopping any time soon. He needed to get Andrew off his back because his attitude could only rise more questions and suspicion. He'd already told Coach he didn't trust him, what if Coach began digging into his past because of it? No, Neil couldn't have that happening. If giving something to Andrew was the only way to keep the monster at bay, then he had to start considering releasing some of his truths.

"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"

"Go ahead"

"Will you?"

"Depends on what you say"

Neil sighed and uncrossed his arms to run a hand through his hair. "I'm looking for my mother" he forced himself to say the words and though he felt like he was betraying his mother all over again, he also couldn't help but feel like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "We got separated a while back and this is the only place I could think of that I hadn't looked for her already"

Andrew took in his words as he did everything else, with a neutral yet considering expression on his face. So far, Neil had figured the blond had at least three emotional stages: either he felt nothing, or he was angry or, in a few rare occasions, he was cynical and cruel. Neil had yet to reconcile any of those moods with the Andrew that had helped at basketball practice last week. That was an Andrew Neil had seen only once and he was beginning to wonder if it hadn't been just a fluke on his behavior.

After a minute, Andrew spoke again. "You were running away together then. She stole you from your real family? Committed a crime and ran away from the police with you?"

"My fa—" Neil started and then took a deep breath. He'd already boarded this boat, might as well sink with it too. "My father wasn't exactly father of the year material. My mother took me when I was young. Been running ever since"

"Why two months?" at Neil's blank stare, Andrew proceeded to explain. "You said you would be gone in two months. Why?"

"If I don't find her I'll have to move on on my own. I don't think it will take me that long to figure out if she's here or not" Neil didn't even want to think about having to leave Palmetto without his mother. This city was his only hope.

Andrew was nothing if not relentless for he didn't seem to be running out of questions any time soon. "You said this is the last place you could think of to find her. Why leave if you don't?"

"It's just better if I do. There's nothing for me here"

"There's the Foxhole Force"

"And you'll all be better once I'm gone" he wasn't about to confess that a serial killer was after him and that he'd stop at nothing to get his hands on him again. Andrew would never let him stay otherwise. But the blond had other ideas in mind and he was proving to be a hard bone to crack.

"Then you better leave now. There's no point staying here for just two months"

"That's not for you to decide"

"I don't think you understand how this works yet. You either become the Red Ranger full time or not at all" Andrew stated and Neil let out a frustrated sigh.

"How long is full time? Look, I can't stay here indefinitely and I need to find my mother. I—"

"A year" the blond interrupted and Neil's eyes widened.

"What?"

Andrew uncrossed his arms to put a hand on either side of his waist in the first sign of impatience he'd seen all day. "You've already unlocked new powers with just being here. With the five Rangers together, it shouldn't take more than a year to defeat the Ravens for good"

Neil shook his head. "You can't know that"

"What I can know is that it'd be a waste of everyone's time if you only gave us a Red Ranger for a couple of months, so how about a deal?"

"Come again?"

"Give me a year and I'll help you find your mother"

Neil opened his mouth to deny such a crazy suggestion but he stopped in time and forced himself to consider it carefully.

Staying a whole year in the same place was something neither him nor his mother had ever dared to do. It was just too dangerous. But what Andrew was offering was priceless. Help finding his mother? How long had he been trying to find her unsuccessfully on his own?

"A year is a really long time" Neil whispered, not really expecting an answer but Andrew gave him one none the less.

"It'd be a year under the protection of the Force. Whatever scumbag you have for a father can't be more powerful than a Ranger. You really think you wouldn't be able to take him if he found you now?"

Neil swallowed and looked away. It isn't like Neil hadn't thought about it as well. As much as there was evidence of the contrary due to the nature of his father's crimes, the man was only human. Neil was a Power Ranger now, he was part of a team of superheroes that fought almost daily with supernatural creatures. What if this was his ticket out of a life of running and fear? Hadn't he been the one to ask his mother if the famous Rangers of Palmetto could help them? Granted, he'd gotten a beat down just for asking but wasn't it worth it? His mother had said never to mention the Rangers and Palmetto again, but here he was, in the middle of it all. The reason he'd come to Palmetto in the first place was because it was the last hope to find his mother so he _needed_ to stay. So what if the price was one year? And he'd have help looking for her.

And then there was the question... what if he didn't find her? He'd have to keep running, on his own, for the rest of his life. Alone.

Right then, the so far dormant spirit of the Red Fox flared to life inside him and he had to gasp and bring a hand to his chest. The same wave of emotions he'd felt that morning came rushing to the surface.

_Protection, understanding, family. Home._

After having experienced what belonging to a place like the Foxhole Court felt, no matter how short a time he'd been there, made him realize he wouldn't survive out there on his own again simply because he didn't want to. He was tired of being alone.

 _How can I trust him?_ , he asked his Fox and for the first time, the spirit of the Red Fox communicated with him so clearly that it almost felt like he was hearing actual words in his mind.

 _I_ _do_ , the Fox said.

"Well?" Andrew prompted when Neil took his sweet time thinking about it.

Squaring his shoulders and looking at Andrew straight in the eyes, Neil came to a decision he hoped he wouldn't regret. "One year. You help me find her and I give you one year"

"I will"

There didn't seem to be anything left to say, but Andrew took a step forward and offered up his hand. "Don't touch me again and I promise I'll never drug you again. Deal?"

"Deal" Neil kept his hands to himself and Andrew lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "You just told me not to touch you"

Out of everything that had happened between them that day, this is what made Andrew stare at him with evident surprise on his face. But the blond was quick to hide it behind a scowl and an annoyed roll of his eyes.

"You can shake my hand" he said and Neil did so after another second of hesitation.

Andrew's grip was strong but not painful and Neil found himself returning the shake with the same amount of enthusiasm as him.

As the blond turned and left him alone in the medical bay without another word, Neil put a hand on the bed to stabilize himself. He'd just agreed to stay in one place for a whole damn year. He definitely needed a moment to gather his bearings.

But as he thought about it, he realized Andrew hadn't left him alone, not really, because the presence of the Red Fox was stronger than ever inside him and the feeling the Fox was projecting towards him was something Neil hadn't ever felt for anyone else, much less himself.

 _Pride_.

The Red Fox was proud of his decision and Neil was equal parts contrite and amazed to understand that without even realizing it, Andrew had helped him mend fences with the Fox. Somehow, Neil was sure he wouldn't have problems morphing the next time he tried and at least that was something to be grateful for.

One year. Neil had promised one year.

Well, at least that gave him more than enough time to find his mother, he just had to actually start looking for her.

Tomorrow, he thought. With Andrew's help, he'd start looking for her tomorrow.

**_Next episode: Unexpected allies_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pheww... this was a hard episode to write. The first part was actually pretty fun but the ending was a complete headache. I’m still not happy with how the deal between Andrew and Neil was written but I don’t think I could’ve done anything different. The way Nora did it was just perfect and no one can really imitate it. By the way, any part of that particular dialogue you recognize totally belongs to her and the books.  
> But, perfectionist dissatisfaction aside, WE HAVE THE DEAL PEOPLE! This was obviously meant to be the scene of Columbia in the books and Neil and Andrew have come to an agreement: a year of Neil staying with the foxes in exchange for help finding his mother. Now, what kind of adventures our two boys will be getting themselves into?
> 
> On a different note, I think I’ve spelled the word racquet like a hundred different ways in my stories, but I finally checked the original books and it’s spelled racquet so that’s what I’m gonna be using from now on :)
> 
> I would love to see what you thought of this episode. Also, we didn’t get many images on this one and Kevin’s and Neil’s staffs are just pretty basic weapons because my mind couldn’t come up with anything better but I hope it suits them. I’ll be drawing the others’ weapons soon enough :D
> 
> See you on the next episode?


	5. Unexpected allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, confession time? This was the hardest episode to get out so far. Writing it was literally like pulling teeth but I finally did it! I finished it!  
> I really hope you guys like it and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about it.  
> Also... was Neil’s plan stupid or not? I’ll let you be the judges of that 😝

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_Neil started his Power Ranger training on the wrong foot when he had trouble morphing into the Red Ranger which forced him to stay behind while the others went out to fight a new monster and the Ravens. The Red Fox felt abandoned because of Neil’s thoughts that week, mainly that he was wasting his time and he needed to focus on finding his mother. But despite the danger, Neil snuck out to help the Rangers until a dangerous confrontation with Mureau had the Red Fox protecting Neil by morphing him. Later, Andrew roped Neil into a fake training session where he drugged him and interrogated him. After getting berated by Coach, Neil and Andrew came to an understanding: Neil agreed to stay in the force for a year if Andrew helped him find his mother._

**S1 E5: Unexpected allies**

* * *

Neil looked at Andrew sitting across the table calmly chewing on his food.

_I promised I'd help you find her, didn't I? So tell me before you decide to do something stupid like this again._

Neil stabbed angrily at his own food as he rolled his eyes at the blond even though Andrew wasn't looking at him or anyone else on the table for that matter.

Neil's plan hadn't been stupid. He had ran into some trouble, sure, but that didn't make it stupid. _Andrew_ had been the one acting stupid after it, all smug and irritating. What other way was there to find his mother than to go certain places and ask certain people? Neil wasn't a stranger to thugs, drug dealers, weapon dealers, _people_ dealers. If his mother had gone to anyone to buy weapons or forged documents for a new identity then Neil needed to knock on every one of those doors as well.

But he guessed if he had to concede a point, it was that his plan could've gone more smoothly. Let's just say that if Andrew hadn't shown up when he did, Neil's black eye from his recent confrontation with Lieutenant Mureau wouldn't be the only black and blue thing about him right now.

That morning, Neil had gotten out of bed early like a man on a mission. He had used his new communicator to make a wide internet search of Palmetto and ended up with a list of the shadiest places of the city. Then it had just been a matter of asking door to door posing as a teen looking for a way into that world.

_I need a fix, do you know where I can find one?_

_Fuck off kid._

On to the next door.

_I need a line, could you fix me up?_

_The hell do you think I am?_

And the next door.

_They say you're the man to go if I need some assistance._

_Who's running their mouth?_

_Can you help me or not?_

_Get out of here before I gut you._

And the next one.

_I'm looking for a piece, they say I can find it here?_

_Yeah? Want a piece of this?_

Neil had given that particular street a wide berth after that.

He had been at it for about half an hour before encountering any real trouble.

_I need an ID asap. They told me this was the place to go._

_You have any money?_

_I have enough._

_What do you need an ID for?_

_What do you care? I just do and I can pay it._

_Come on in then._

Neil had walked into the back of a rundown electronics shop where three guys older than him had been lazily splayed on different couches and chairs.

_New customer._

_Who told you about us?_

_A guy the other day._

_Just a guy the other day?_

_Yes. Look, I'm in a hurry? Can you make the ID or not?_

_Even if we agreed, you wouldn't have it today._

_I can come back when it's ready._

_You wouldn't be able to pay._

_I have money._

_Show me._

_I... I don't have it on me right now. I'll pay when its ready._

_That's quite a shiner you got there. Got in a fight lately?_

_What does it matter?_

_It matters... you a cop?_

_What?_

_Are. You. A cop?_

_No, I just need some papers but if you can't give them to me, I'll look for someone who can._

That had been the wrong thing to say because right as he had been about to turn around and leave, the men had surrounded him and backed him into a corner.

_You wired?_

_No._

_Why are you really here?_

_I need an ID._

_You a cop?_

_I told you already, I'm not._

_Try again._

And then the glint of a knife had appeared near his face.

_Look, man, I can find the papers somewhere else. If you didn't want the job you just had to say so._

_You need to learn not to barge into our store thinking you can fool us._

_And you need to back the hell off before I cut your hands off._

_A_ _‐_ _Andrew?_

_Back. Off. Now._

_Who the hell are you?_

_I won't ask again. Back off._

_You think you can take us? What are you, 5 feet zero inches?_

And Andrew _had_ been able to take them. The men had ended up sprawled on the floor, two of them unconscious, one of them not.

_We're leaving._

_Make sure we don't see your faces around here again!_

Like they would be able to do anything if they ever faced off against Andrew again. Neil had been impressed as much as he had been pissed off.

_What the hell are you doing here?_

_What the hell were you doing in there?_

_I asked first._

_And I asked second, so?_

Neil had rolled his eyes dramatically at that.

_Why are you here?_

_It wouldn't do anyone any good if you got yourself killed for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong._

_You're one to talk!_

_This is Roca Street, Rabbit, not exactly the fanciest neighborhood._

_So what, you just followed me here?_

Andrew had ignored his question completely.

_Get in the car._

This _is your car?_

_Yes, now get in before someone decides to steal it._

A Maserati. Andrew owned a fucking Maserati.

_How did you know I was here?_

_I saw you sneaking out this morning._

_There was no one up when I left._

_I was on the roof._

And just what exactly had Andrew been doing on the roof? Neil hadn't asked.

_You followed me._

_Yes because, do tell, what the hell were you thinking stirring up trouble in a place like that? Because it looked to me like you were about to get your face smashed in and considering there's already a giant bruise on it, there's really not much space for anything else._

_I think I liked you better when you didn't talk to me._

_What can I say, you seem to bring out the best in me._

_The best? Yeah, right._

But Neil had waited just a few minutes before explaining the logic behind his plan.

_If my mother was here, she must have contacted someone about either weapons or documents. I just went looking for the people who could provide those so I can ask them about her later on._

_You were doing a piss poor job of it._

_Nobody asked your opinion._

_I promised I'd help you find her, didn't I? So tell me before you decide to do something stupid like this again. There must be other ways to find her._

_Like what?_

But Andrew hadn't had an answer for that.

They had driven back to the Foxhole Court just in time to start their shift and the place had been already alive with their co workers getting the place ready to open.

Allison had been the first one to encounter them on their way through the front doors.

_Neil! What are you doing with him? Are you okay?_

_I'm fine._

_We heard what that maniac did yesterday... you have some balls Minyard._

Allison had seemed furious but Andrew had merely made a show of cupping his crotch as if he'd been inspecting it.

_Last time I checked, yes, I had some balls._

_Urgh! Neil, you don't have to hang out with him if you don't want to._

_Thanks Allison but we worked it out. It's all fine._

By the time Neil had been done reassuring Allison, Andrew had already gone through the metal doors leading to the courts.

Neil had spent the rest of the morning between mops and brooms, a welcome mindless task to shed the jitters of that morning's fruitless adventure and to try and come up with a new plan. Was there really another way to find his mother? He had thought his logic was solid, that if his mother had bought documents on the illegal side of Palmetto, then someone must be able to remember her. But then again, all his mother had ever taught him was how not to stand out, how not to let anyone remember them in case his father or his people ever came asking about them and it wasn't like—

"... earth to Neil?"

Neil jerked away from his thoughts and from Nicky's snapping fingers in front of his face. "What?"

"You seem distracted today. Are you okay?" Neil surveyed the table but the only one interested in his answer was Nicky. Andrew, who had joined them for lunch for the first time since Neil started working there, was ignoring everything around him in order to finish his plate, Kevin had gulped down his food to go start practice earlier for some of the older kids and had already left, and Aaron was distractedly texting someone on his phone.

"I'm fine" he answered and forced himself to listen in on the older boy talking about their upcoming fundraising event next month. He and Allison were in charge of organizing that kind of activities and though he wasn't really interested, Neil managed to let out an idea or two.

"So Neil... I've been wondering..."

The redhead looked up reluctantly from his plate and willed Nicky not to start making any personal questions. Why did he have to get stuck in a place with so many curious people? "What?"

"I was wondering... you know... with a face like yours..."

"What, Nicky?"

The other boy sighed a bit apollogetically and decided to just go for it. "Do you have a girl back home?"

Okay... Neil had not been expecting that. "What are you talking about?"

"You know... a girl, a girlfriend, a wifey? I mean, someone that looks like you must definitely be taken" Neil wondered what exactly did he look like and what was he doing wrong for people to notice. Could it really be just the hair and the eyes? He was still trying to avoid the subject in case the Red Fox decided to act up again but that didn't mean he either liked it or hadn't stopped wanting to change it back. Whatever the case, he didn't like thinking about attracting anyone's attention.

"There's no girl"

Nicky's face broke out into an excited grin and his loud words brought the attention of the twins into their conversation. "Oh, so a boy? You swing my way? You might as well tell me now and save me the trouble of figuring it out"

"Your way...?" Nicky arched his eyebrows suggestively a few times until Neil understood. "Oh. No, there's no boy either"

"So you're available!" Neil shook his head and his answers became a bit curt after that.

"No. I'm just not interested"

"Not interested in me or...?"

"Do we really have to talk about this?"

"Actually no, we don't" this time it was Aaron who spoke, making it clear he was everything but interested in Neil's love life. Andrew had already finished eating and though he was looking at Neil as if waiting for an answer too, he could tell Nicky was the only one invested in the conversation.

"We absolutely do!" the loud boy said. The cafeteria tables reserved for the staff were next to a wall away from all the others, and the place was already emptying the closer practice hour got, but Neil still didn't appreciate Nicky calling attention to their table.

"Sorry Nicky, I don't swing either way. I'm just not interested in that"

"What? No one can be not interested"

"Well, I'm not"

"But—"

"Just leave it alone Nicky. I don't swing and that's that"

Nicky seemed like he wanted to keep protesting Neil's statement but Andrew cut him off by getting to his feet and picking up his empty tray. "Time to work" he told everyone and Neil gladly followed him to put the empty tray on a pile next to the garbage can. A garbage can he'd have to empty in a few minutes anyway because it was time to clean the cafeteria.

* * *

It wasn't long before Andrew and Neil found themselves alone in the place picking up scattered trays on the tables and sweeping the floor of crumbs and used napkins.

As they continued to work in silence, Neil couldn't help thinking that working with Andrew had to be one of the most bizarre things about working at the Foxhole Court, Power Ranger job included. It was actually impressive how the blond could go from ignoring him to drugging him in the span of a single week in an attempt to pry at each and every one of his secrets. Sometimes he had such an apathetic expression on his face that the only way to tell if he was awake was because his eyes were open, and sometimes he was chatty enough to rival even his own cousin. That morning had been an example of that. And then there was the one time he had seemed so at ease with the children on the basketball team, and the kids had been so excited to have him as their substitute coach that day... it was nothing if not puzzling. Right now for example, Andrew was focused on his part of the job, silently mopping under the trays counter as if Neil didn't even exist. As if that morning hadn't happened at all.

Hadn't it been Andrew the one to say he would figure Neil out? If you asked Neil, if there was anyone in the need to figure someone out, it was him.

It wasn't the first time he realized he knew next to nothing about his blond co worker. So far, after two weeks of bathroom cleaning and cafeteria sweeping, Neil had gathered some information here and there about the rest of the group.

He knew as much as he'd been told about Kevin being a former Raven. He knew Aaron was a certified EMT and was looking forward to continue his education in the matter. He knew Allison and Seth had been dating for almost a year when it was just the two of them as Power Rangers but that they'd broken up and remained as much friends as they could be. He knew Matt had been the last one to join both the Foxhole Court and the Force and that Renee and Dan had found their way to the place together before that, having been friends a while before coming here. But about Andrew, all he knew was his reputation as a monster and his more than erratic behavior. If he had to trust Andrew with some of his secrets and with the task of helping him find his mother, then Neil would have to find a way to learn more about him.

It wasn't like he could just walk up to him and demand a review of the man's life, but hadn't that been exactly what Andrew had done to him only with more exaggerated methods? Neil figured that after everything the blond had put him through, the other boy owed him at least some answers.

"Andrew" Neil called while approaching the other side of the cafeteria. The blond seemed like he was going to just keep ignoring him but Neil stood on the way of his mop until Andrew let out a sigh and looked up prompting him to go on. "The other day Matt said Riko wanted to recruit you as a Raven"

"So?"

"When was that?"

"Two years ago" that would be right around the time Neil had heard the news lady in the radio praising the Power Rangers' work in Palmetto, the day his mother beat the memory out of him. It would also mean Andrew had been working at the Court way before Kevin, Dan, Renee or Matt ever got there.

"And you came to live here right after? What about Nicky and Aaron? Why did they come with you?"

Andrew stared for a moment, probably deliberating whether answering his questions was worth it or not. "Aaron looks like me" he finally decided to say, as if that little detail explained it all. "And we wouldn't leave Nicky alone"

"What do you mean—?"

"Uh-uh. It's my turn to ask" the blond interrupted with a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"You asked a lot yesterday"

"You answered exactly four of my questions" he said, putting a fist in the air between them and counting with his fingers. "You're not a Raven spy. You're looking for your mother. You're running away from your father. You planned to stay here for two months because you thought that was enough time to figure out if she was in Palmetto or not. Those were the questions you actually answered. You've already asked four today, so it's my turn now"

Note to self on his Andrew Minyard mental binnacle: he's a sucker for details.

Neil huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What is this, an eye for an eye sort of thing?"

Andrew didn't miss a beat. "How about a truth for a truth?"

"How can I know you'll tell me the truth?"

"Right back atcha"

Neil rolled his eyes for what felt like the tenth time that day but eventually relented with a inaudible sigh. "Fine. Ask your question"

"Who's your father?"

Neil's eyes widened millimetrically. Not only was Andrew not the type to beat around the bushes, he was also the type to go right for the freaking kill.

Neil swallowed hard. "Ask something else"

Andrew mimicked his posture, letting go of the mop for it to lean against the tray counter. "Those aren't the rules"

"This isn't a game"

"Isn't it? I thought puzzles where a game. Guess I've been wrong all my life" another note to self: beware a sarcastic Andrew.

"Why are you so curious about it?" Neil asked but Andrew wouldn't budge.

"Again, not the rules"

"I won't answer any questions about my father" the redhead said with finality.

"Why?"

"Is that your question?"

"Fine. It can be. Why won't you talk about him?"

Neil's breathing faltered a bit before answering. Andrew already knew enough to gather his father had been an abusive bastard, but Neil wanted to close the lid on the matter for once and for good. He let out a slow calming breath and the words that would help him do that. "I hate him. I hate his name, the way he looks, the way he talks. I hate the way he mistreated me and my mom. I don't like even thinking about him so no, I won't talk about him"

"Are you that afraid?"

"It's not your turn" Neil bit out and felt a small flicker of satisfaction when Andrew's features went from smug to annoyed in over a second. The blond had to relent eventually though, because these were his rules after all, and he motioned for Neil to go ahead. All this talk about his father had a new question popping into his mind. "Do you have any other family besides Aaron and Nicky?"

"You changed your question" the blond asked narrowing his eyes.

"What, is that against the rules too?"

"No"

"No as in it isn't against the rules or no as in you don't have any other family?"

"No as in I won't talk about my family. You get an off limits topic then I get one too. No talking about your daddy issues and no talking about my family" which only made Neil believe that he indeed had other family besides his twin and cousin, but he could respect that boundary as long as Andrew respected his.

"That's fair" he agreed. "But then you still owe me a question"

He wasn't sure what else he wanted to know and was about to ask if he could save his question for another time when their communicators came to life with the now familiar Raven alarm.

"Ask it later" Andrew said, picking up his mop and resuming his work without another word.

Neil nodded and made his way towards the kitchen. He'd already learned the code to the fake refrigerator door and was the first one to arrive at the command centre. A couple of minutes later, the whole squad was there and Dan zoomed in on the main screen.

Allison inhaled sharply and let out and indignant huff. “That bitch!”

* * *

" _That bitch!_ "

Neil had never seen Allison so worked up before.

She was glaring at the screen where Lieutenant Mureau and a woman dressed in a similar black attire were scaring people off of their way.

"Where is that?" Neil asked when a tense silence followed Allison's curse.

"Central Park" oh, how Neil hated that park. Ever since his very first encounter with the Ravens, Neil had made sure not to set foot in it for as long as he could help it.

"It's just the two of them" Matt pointed out, scanning the rest of the monitors in case they hadn't seen the other Ravens yet, but there were none. "That's weird. They've never come out of the Nest together"

"Who is she?" Neil asked because he'd never seen that woman before.

Dan was the one to answer, zooming in on her. "That's General Muldani, she—"

" _She_ " Allison interrupted with a snarl on her face. "Is a bitch. She's the worst fucking whor–"

"It's morphing time" Kevin interrupted without his usual fanfare but with enough authority to shut Allison up on the spot. Kevin missed the scathing look she sent his way, or maybe he just chose to ignore it. Either way, Neil thought it was weird how on edge everyone had gotten by the appearance of General Muldani. If anything, the only ones unaffected by her were Matt and Dan, even Seth was scowling at Allison and Kevin as they stood at attention to morph. Was the General that dangerous? Even more than Mureau? Neil guessed he was about to find out.

"Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha!"

And on their way they went.

It didn't take them long to reach the park but it did take a moment for them to understand what was different about the scene in front of them. General Muldani and Lieutenant Mureau were snapping at people, scaring them off and occasionally tripping them right as they were about to run off. But they weren't hurting them, they weren't _tasting_ them.

Another unusual thing? The guys were more sober than Neil had ever seen them when about to get into it with the Ravens. Allison was exuding the same irritated energy she had put into words at the youth centre, Seth was eerily quiet whereas he would have been insulting the Ravens back and forth by now. Matt had been caught up in the general tense mood of the group and Kevin's shoulders were slumped where they should have been proudly set. Neil was more than a little confused.

"Guys, _who is she_?"

It was Matt who answered. "Riko's perfect Raven number 4"

Sure enough, when Neil zoomed in on his visor he saw the number 4 tattooed high on the woman’s cheek, exactly where Mureau’s number 3 was and where Riko’s number 1 had been proudly inked into his skin from what he could remember of the day he bumped into the Raven King in human form. Neil remembered the mark Riko had given him, the talon wound on his cheek. Was there supposed to be a number 5 tattooed into his own flesh? If things had gone slightly different a couple of weeks ago, he might have been standing at the other side of the park, not as a Ranger but as a Raven. He shuddered at the thought of it.

"Well, they're not doing anything" he stated.

"They're scaring people off and that's enough for me to want to stop them" Matt said gravely but before they could make their presence known, Allison turned towards Kevin, her head slightly bowed in assessment.

"Kevin, you—"

"What?" the taller Ranger spat between clenched teeth.

"It's just..."

"I can do my job. Focus on yours”

Allison let out an indignant tsk but didn’t finish her question. Whatever she had been about to ask, Neil would never know but it was definitely enough to sharpen the mood around them into an even colder one.

Neil figured it was up to him and Matt to keep everyone level headed enough. “Are we gonna do this or what?”

Their pink teammate was the first to approach, not waiting for them as she jumped in front of the perfect Ravens and performed the same routine of postures Neil had seen her do once before. “Stop right there, _raven trash!_ Corsac Fox. Power Ranger Pink!”

The rest of the Rangers joined her a moment later but neither of them followed Allison’s lead, no one seemed to be in the mood and Neil still wouldn’t be caught dead doing that ridiculous dance.

“Finally! We’ve been waiting for you” General Muldani greeted them, a savage smile on her face.

“Red Ranger” Mureau followed, calling Neil’s attention to him. “We meet again”

Neil merely got into a fighting stance, fists tight and poised to attack.

Then the General’s gaze locked on their blue teammate and her smile went from savage to downright predatory. “Hello there Kevin dear”

“Thea” Kevin replied and Neil felt an unexpected weight settling in his stomach. Kevin knew her too.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that Kevin had once lived as a prisoner in the Nest. Neil had never seen the other boy chatter excitedly about anything, not like Nicky, Matt or Allison did. He was more of the type to speak slowly but passionately. He had this intense way of looking at everything and an eery precision about everything he did, whether that was teaching someone how to play exy, fight his way into a sea of Ravens or merely eating his freaking food at lunch. Kevin was just an intense guy. Which is why it was weird to hear him sound so… empty when addressing Muldani, or even Mureau.

Nobody liked it when he called the perfect Ravens by their first name. _Jean. Thea_. Because it sounded not only as if he knew them, but as if they’d once been friends. Allison, especially, didn’t have any qualms about making her opinion known in the matter.

And that only begged the question, didn’t it? Had Kevin once been friends with General Muldani and Lieutenant Mureau? Neil had never stopped to consider that going up against the Ravens might be something of a struggle for Kevin and, if so, then it was commemorable the fact that he did. It also sent that unexpected twinge of worry to Neil’s gut because now that he thought about it, Kevin always seemed a little put out when fighting Mureau. Why would Muldani be any different? He guessed he’d have to keep an eye on the Blue Ranger during the fight.

“Who are you after this time?” Neil asked. It was the first time he addressed their enemies directly but he ignored the nervous beating of his heart at the thought of bringing attention to himself in order to keep their focus off of Kevin. He was covered from head to toe in the red suit and his face was hidden from view, he had to remind himself, so he squared his shoulders and decided to take point on this one. “Did you mark someone?”

"Yes, we did. Years ago. And it's time he comes home with us"

Allison took half a step in front of Kevin, Matt joining her on Kevin's other side. "Fat chance, Raven"

Next time she talked, Muldani had eyes solely for Kevin. "It's where you belong Kevin. Our King ordered us to remind you of that"

Neil's worry spiked after her words, but even though Kevin sounded still strangely stunned, his resolve seemed unwavering. "My place is among foxes, not ravens"

"Once we're done with you, there won't be any foxes left. Then you will have no other choice but to come back" this time it was Mureau, who hadn't uttered a single word since greetting Neil earlier.

"You don't have to do as he says. You can leave him"

"Leave our King?" General Muldani spat, as if the mere idea of it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "He would have our heads for that!"

"Then fight him!"

"He controls everything! You know this!"

"We can find a way!"

"Kevin..." Neil tried, not wanting the older boy to keep engaging in such pointless conversation, but the Blue Ranger ignored this and every other call for his attention.

"We can find a way to free you from him. You don't have to live as his Ravens forever!"

Silence followed and for a moment it seemed as if Muldani was actually considering Kevin's words. But then the moment passed and her eyes started to glow yellow. Almost as a reflex, Mureau's eyes flashed yellow as well.

"We rather die as Ravens! We'd die for our King!" the Ravens put out their arms as feathers grew from their very own flesh, covering their faces and ripping their clothes off their bodies in the process. "But _you_! You'd rather die a Fox, a weakling! You have no idea what our King is after. Destruction! Death! It will all come to you when he finds it and only Ravens will be left to reign! The perfect army!"

Kevin finally seemed to snap out of whatever trance he'd been stuck in and got into his fighting stance. "Guys get ready"

"Our King is done with your interference. This is the day the Power Rangers die!"

And Riko's perfect Ravens number 3 and 4 lunged forward talons first. The Rangers had never faced such odds before.

* * *

Nicky had been right when explaining the difference between regular Ravens and perfect Ravens. Perfect Ravens weren't only fast and strong, they were also dangerously smart. They dodged and feigned and lured and guessed. It was hard keeping up with only one of them, but two? The Rangers were definitely in trouble.

They had to scatter into two groups as Muldani and Mureau attacked them, leaving Kevin, Allison and Seth fighting against Muldani while Neil and Matt got stuck with Lieutenant Mureau.

"You won't get away from me this time, Red Ranger" Mureau said as he lashed out with his talons but Neil was quick enough to get out of the way.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that" Neil spat in return. "Red Staff!"

Following his lead, Matt summoned his weapon as well. "Kit Gloves!"

Lieutenant Mureau sneered at them while extending an arm to the side. The feathers on his arm began to grow even larger and move towards his hand until they formed a compact, long and sharp form. A moment later, the Raven had a glinting black sword in his hand.

"That's new" Neil muttered with surprise.

"Not really, but try not to get touched by it. Their swords sting like a motherfucker" Neil wasn't planning on it.

Each of them, armed with their own weapon, jumped into action again.

As he tried to fend off Mureau's sword, Neil kept an eye out on the other Rangers. General Muldani had also drawn her sword while Allison and Seth wielded their whip and crossbow. Kevin had yet to summon his staff.

A metallic clatter near his face had him jumping back in surprise to see Matt had stopped an attack from Mureau's sword barely inches from his face. "Keep your head up!"

"Maybe we shouldn't let them fight Muldani together" Neil answered, charging Mureau with his staff as he recalled the others' hostility towards each other.

"What?" Matt said with panting breaths. "Oh, they'll be fine. It's not the first— aahh!"

"Matt!" the sword had caught the Green Ranger mid sentence and Neil surged forward to step between his downed teammate and Mureau.

"Back off Raven!" his red staff caught a ray of sunlight as he disengaged the two halves to brandish a weapon on each hand.

"I am right here" the Raven mocked and Neil charged.

Their weapons clashed in mid-air and sparks flew from the point of impact. Neil's muscles strained to push the black sword away from him but much like his last confrontation with Mureau, the Lieutenant's strength won against his and Neil lost the grip on his Staff.

Mureau's sword came down on him.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, and Neil flew backwards in a show of sparks.

 _Shit_ , he thought. _That hurt_.

By the time he managed to get back on his feet, Matt was already up and at it again.

"You Rangers think you're so clever. You think you can keep Kevin away from us"

"We're not hiding him, you stupid bird" Neil replied, red staff back in hand as he countered another strike. "He's right were he wants to be"

"We'll see about that. Ha!" Mureau yelled and he pointed his sword at the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance as a beam of lightning connected with the tip of the sword.

They didn't even have time to swear.

Mureau brought the weapon down in a arch and despite being several feet out of range, Neil and Matt got caught in the slicing motion.

It was like being ripped in half by a smoldering hot blade. The pair of Rangers got tossed in the air as their suits exploded in burning sparks and then the ground was rushing to them in painful seconds. Neil landed with a breathless huff while his body tried to process what had just happened. As it was, both his mind and body were so stunned he wouldn't have been able to move even if he'd wanted to. Smoke was coming out of their suits and he could feel the energy of the Red Fox diminishing after the blow.

"Matt! Neil! You okay?" Dan asked, speaking into their helmets for the first time since the battle started.

"Y-yeah. Neil?" Matt asked. Neil nodded curtly and copied his green teammate's efforts to get back on his feet.

Lieutenant Mureau was about to finish them off when a barrier of pink, yellow and blue stood between them at the same time Muldani joined the other Raven in front of them.

"Foxes... such pathetic creatures" Mureau stated with disdain.

"Nobody's forcing our company on you" Seth retorted. "You're welcome to fuck off any time now"

Now _that_ sounded more like the Yellow Ranger they all knew.

When the two of them found their footing again, the five Rangers stood at attention in formation next to each other. Neil eventually took half a step forward and drew his blaster from its holder.

"Guys, let's blast these birds to ashes" the rest didn't hesitate. "Foxes Blast!"

Not even Kevin.

"Now!"

And then their world dissolved into pain.

Right as the colored energy beams had been about to reach Muldani and Mureau, the Ravens had crossed their swords together like a shield in front of them and the Foxes Blast had rebounded, coming back straight at the Rangers and shocking their systems to their very core.

The word pain didn't even begin to describe what they felt.

With a chorus of yells, all the Rangers got tossed several feet in the air only to land in a smoldering heap on the ground, a current of electricity running through their bodies as if they'd been shocked by live wires. Neil could feel his Fox writhing in pain inside his chest and if he focused hard enough, he could even hear a faint whine at the back of his mind. Or maybe the whine was coming from him and his ears were just ringing enough from the electric shock that he sounded far away even to himself.

Distantly, he heard the Ravens laughing. "Like I said... pathetic"

"Guys!" it was Dan, sounding frantic over the comms. "Guys! Your energy levels are dangerously low. You can't take another hit like that. You'll morph out!"

Well... wasn't today full of good news? Neil wanted to remember why he'd ever thought joining the Foxhole Force in the middle of a war had seemed like a good idea, but as it was, he could only focus on taking a new breath right after the next.

"We have to... try again" Matt said, pushing himself off the ground. "Come on"

"What good... would it... do?" this time, Seth. "They'll block it... again"

"But we have to—"

"Guys!" Allison yelled and pointed at the Ravens, who were angling their swords towards the sky.

Neil's stomach dropped. "Shit. Shit! Get up! Get up!" but just like the others, his own body failed him. He could only watch in horror as the Ravens pulled out lightning from the sky with a feral smile on their faces.

"It's our turn now. Ha!"

Neil braced himself for the impact.

But instead of bright lightning, a dark shadow grew in front of them, cutting off Neil's view of the attack and leaving him staring dumbfounded as a dark silhouette stood between the downed Rangers and the Raven's strike. When the lightning reached them, Neil's eyes were momentarily blinded and the only thing he could see afterwards was the dark silhouette of a man shielding them from the strike.

A minute passed and after all the lightning got deflected to the side, that’s when Neil saw him.

* * *

Neil couldn't believe his eyes. What he was seeing was... no, it just couldn't be possible. But it wasn't a hallucination because the others were also staring at the newcomer as the man stood proudly with his back to them.

“Look, it’s him!” Seth was the first to call and Neil couldn't tear his eyes away from the unknown man as he asked.

“Who is that?”

This time, Allison replied and if it wasn't for the helmet Neil wouldn't doubt the roll of her eyes. “Urgh, an asshole”

Kevin was the first to stagger back to his feet, followed by Matt and Allison as he let out his own answer. “The Black Ranger”

The.

Black.

Ranger.

 _What!?_ There was another one? Neil couldn't believe his ears. "But _who_ is he?"

"You!" Lieutenant Mureau shouted after he recovered from his shock and he pointed his sword challengingly at the man. "You insolent pest! You will pay for that!"

If Neil couldn't believe his ears, then he at least had to believe his eyes, because the man standing in front of them, the man that had saved them from the Ravens' attack, was indeed covered from head to toe in black, the suit not only similar but exactly the same as the rest of the Rangers' suits. When the man lowered his arms to the side, Neil saw the object he had used to deflect the lightning beams with. It was a shield, the Black Ranger's weapon.

"Guys!" he called and then tapped the side of his helmet when the others didn't seem too eager to pay him attention. "Dan. Anyone! _Who is he?"_

Kevin was the one to snap. "We don't know, Neil! We just... we don't know"

By this point, Neil had also gotten to his feet but he remained hunched, hands on his knees as he panted into the helmet. He also wanted to ask so many other questions, mainly just when the hell had they planned to tell him that there was another Ranger out there and why couldn't he have been the fifth member of the team.

But questions would have to wait a while longer because the Ravens grew impatient and they launched a new attack, coming at the new Ranger together, swords poised to cut down.

The Black Ranger was... he was amazing! Without sparing a single word or bursting out any battle cries, he faced the Ravens head on and stopped the advance of their weapons with his solid black shield. He pushed their swords away, not enough to make them lose their hold of it but enough for the Ranger to find an opening and deliver a few blows of his own, the shield as good as a defensive weapon as it was slamming into their opponents heads.

"We should help him" Matt offered and though he knew his green teammate was right, Neil dreaded the moment he even had to straighten up.

As they continued to catch their breaths though, the Black Ranger kept on holding his ground against General Muldani and Lieutenant Mureau, which was nothing short of impressive considering he was dealing with two perfect Ravens on his own.

But as good as the Black Ranger seemed to be, it was only a matter of time before he was caught by the end of a sword, making him drop his guard and leave his side open for General Muldani to kick him a few feet away from them. That's when Neil took a last replenishing breath and nodded his head in determination.

"You're right" he told Matt and so the Rangers gathered their strength and joined the battle once again.

Neil went straight for the new Ranger, summoning his staff and intercepting Muldani's strike in mid-air. They clashed weapons a few times until Neil managed to find an entrance and slashed at Muldani's back with the tip of his staff. Kevin took it up from there and Neil turned to the Black Ranger, who was getting up from the ground.

"Are you okay?" Neil asked but the man ignored his outstretched hand and managed to stand up on his own, standing almost a full head taller than him. The new Ranger didn't even acknowledge his question as he raced back into the battle.

Neil could understand where Allison's asshole explanation had come from.

But he brushed the Ranger's uptight attitude aside and charged General Muldani as well. Except when he brought his weapon down, it wasn't Muldani but Mureau countering his attack and dodging out of the way. Then it was Muldani again and it wasn't Kevin or the Black Ranger by his side but Allison or Matt or Seth. Soon enough, they were all engaged in a dizzling spinning wheel of swords and staffs and sparks and it was hard to tell if they were actually gaining any ground on the Ravens or not. He supposed the fact he hadn't been shocked out of his skin or blown through the air again was as good a sign as any.

At some point, Neil found himself next to the Black Ranger again when they used both the Red Staff and the shield to stop Lieutenant Mureau's sword. The Black Ranger pushed the sword away and Neil slashed at Mureau with the staff.

"Who are you?" Neil asked when their helmet visors locked on each other and the other Ranger looked down at him for a moment but he was rudely ignored again as the man rushed after Mureau. "Asshole"

The battle dragged on and Neil felt his Fox urging him to finish things off. The Foxes needed to rest and recharge their energy, and he knew they couldn’t keep this fast paced battle for much longer, extra Ranger or not.

Said extra Ranger didn’t seem tired though, not the way the others took longer to get back on their feet once a Raven got them down. No, the Black Ranger continued to fight relentlessly, his tall figure dancing graciously in and out of reach while he brought his weapon down on the Ravens enough for Lieutenant Mureau and General Muldani to focus more on him than on the others. The only exception seemed to be Kevin, since General Muldani was intent on charging after him more than the rest.

Neil was only able to pick up on the dynamic of the fight because he’d taken a step back to try and figure out how to bring it to an end.

_Together._

_Together._

_Together._

“ _Yes_ , together, I know. But how?” he asked his Fox out loud, not caring if anyone else heard him. “They used the Foxes Blast against us”

 _Together_.

Neil groaned. He surveyed the battle field before him and tapped the side of his helmet again. “Dan?”

She answered back in an instant. “I’m here”

“Is Coach there?”

“I’m here, Neil. What do you need?” the man answered himself.

“These perfect Ravens… they’re too strong. We need a way to finish this” _but I don’t know how_ , he didn’t say.

“Whatever you do Neil, you guys can’t take another hit like the last one” Dan reminded him and he fidgeted impatiently on his feet.

“Then what do we do? They blocked the Foxes Blast like it was nothing”

“Then you use a stronger attack” Coach replied, not really helping Neil come up with a plan.

“Stronger than the Foxes Blast?”

“Combine your weapons”

The Red Fox jolted excitedly inside him at the suggestion so Neil figured it was a least worth a shot. “How?”

“Summon all your weapons and use them as one. Not each weapon individually at the same time but combining them to form a much powerful attack” Coach explained. “You may need the Black Ranger’s assistance while you assemble the weapon” he concluded.

“Speaking of… why—”

“Not the time, Neil”

“Right. Okay” Neil agreed but he wouldn’t be forgetting about his questions any time soon.

The next time he spoke, he addressed the rest of the team. “Guys! Be ready to back out of the fight and regroup by the bulletin board!”

“What?” someone asked.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Just, trust me. I’ll tell you when to go”

“Got it!” they agreed to Neil’s relief, who still wasn’t used to them putting their trust in his plans just because he was the Red Ranger.

But he drew his weapon up anyway and went on the hunt for the Black Ranger.

He found him next to Mureau, for the first time having trouble deflecting the Raven’s sword and needing Neil’s help just to be able to block the strike. When he saw his chance, Neil reached for his blaster and aimed his shot at Mureau’s feet, the Lieutenant letting out a curse and jumping back near Muldani. He got entertained by the other Rangers soon enough.

Neil turned to the Black Ranger. “I need you to distract the Ravens enough for us to assemble a new strike, can you do that?”

It’s not like he expected uncooperation from the other Ranger, but it was still puzzling how fast the man nodded his agreement to the plan.

“As soon as I call the attack, get out of the way. I don’t know how strong it’ll be” _or if it will even work at all._

Another nod and the Black Ranger took off. He landed right in the middle of the battle circle after performing a frontflip, taking out his own blaster in the process and generally making a great job of keeping the Ravens’ attention on himself.

“Go now!” he called his team and ran towards the bulletin board himself.

Everyone was panting when they got there.

“Coach?” Neil called, because he wouldn’t be able to explain what they had to do if he couldn’t really understand it himself.

The man’s voice reached all of their ears at once. “Stand in formation, summon your weapons and call out to the Foxhole Force. Never break contact with the weapon or with yourselves. The rest is up to the Foxes”

They all nodded along as they continued to watch the Black Ranger holding his ground against the Ravens.

“Should be simple enough, right?” Matt asked, already standing in formation.

“Let’s just hurry. The Black Ranger can’t buy us time forever” Neil replied and took his position in the middle of the group without even thinking about it, both Allison and Kevin by his side while Matt and Seth stood next to them. “Red Staff!”

And the others followed his lead.

“Swift Staff!”

“Corsac Whip!”

“Kit Gloves!”

“Blanford Bow!”

Neil reached into the depths of his mind until his consciousness brushed the one of his Fox. The feeling wasn’t any different than when he called to the Red Fox when morphing into a Ranger, so he took comfort in the fact the feeling wasn’t exactly new and simply rolled with the flow of information his Fox was giving him then.

“Fox Cannon!” he called as their weapons shook and transformed in their very own hands until Neil was left holding the back of a brand new and bigger weapon, each of the Rangers with one hand on someone’s shoulder and another one on the cannon.

Now he just had to lock on their target.

“Fire!”

Before the recoil of the weapon had him momentarily losing his balance, Neil saw the Black Ranger diving out of the way as soon as he’d given the command to attack and the Ravens, distracted by him, couldn’t put their swords up in time.

The fireball reached them and they went flying towards the sky.

“Holy mother of… It worked!”

“How did— what the— what the fuck just happened?”

“Neil, have I told you how much I love you lately?”

“It worked” Neil ecchoed with a bit of a delay as he watched the perfect Ravens land in a heap on the ground. They were clearly not dead, but they were hurt enough they had to lean into each other just to get back on their feet.

“This… this isn’t over Rangers” General Muldani spat, clutching at a bleeding wound on her chest. “We will come back for you Kevin and we will kill every last one of you. We will—”

“Oh fuck off, _bitch_ ” at this point, no one was really surprised by Allison’s words.

The Ravens were quick to scatter after that. They cursed at them once more, General Muldani’s eyes lingering on their blue teammate for a second longer than necessary while Kevin shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“Should we go after them?” Matt asked, but Coach’s voice reached them once again.

“Your energy levels are too low. Come back to the centre and get some rest. You did well”

“But what about the Ravens?” this time, Seth.

“They’ll be heading straight to the Nest to recover from their injuries. They won’t cause trouble for a while”

“Roger that”

Neil’s eyes followed the retreating Ravens until they were out of sight and that’s when he caught a glimpse of the Black Ranger making a hasty retreat as well.

“Hey!” he called, wanting to chase after him. “Wait!”

But the Ranger was already out of sight beyond the front gates of the park.

Allison put a hand on his shoulder, halting his approach. “Leave it, Neil. He’ll never talk to you. He never does”

“What? Why?”

“Let’s get back to the centre. We’ll explain everything there” Kevin offered and they made their way tiredly back to the Foxhole Court.

* * *

“You could have told me”

The Rangers were back at the command centre, slumped over chairs and desks in various states of exhaustion while Dan and Coach walked around them offering bottles of water or energized drinks. The youth centre was still open and they all had to go back to work at some point, the other centre employees probably up to their noses with work. But, for now, they could use a few minutes of rest and Neil had a lot of questions to be answered.

Coach was the first to do so, handing him a bottle of water as he talked. “To be honest, it completely slipped my mind with how hectic things have been around here”

“But… he could’ve been your fifth Ranger all along. You didn’t really need me if you had him” not that Neil wanted to get out of his role within the Foxhole Force, after all, he had some promises to keep, but he just wanted to understand just where the hell had another Power Ranger come from?

This time it was Allison who answered. “But that’s the problem. We don’t have him. He isn’t part of the team. We don’t even know who he is”

“Then how is he a Ranger in the first place? Where did he come from?”

“We don’t know” Matt replied next and at Neil’s incredulous expression, he was quick to explain. “It’s true! We know absolutely nothing about him. We just know that one day he showed up out of nowhere like he did today and helped us. But he’s never talked to us and he doesn’t always show. Honestly, at this point, it’s just a gamble whether he’ll show up or not and the odds are probably stacked on him not showing”

“If you ask me” Seth added, a leg dangling lazily off a desk. “I think he’s a just a prick”

“He did save you guys today” Dan countered but Allison crossed her arms over her chest with an indignant huff.

“Well, he doesn’t have to be so assholey about it”

For a moment, Neil allowed his exhaustion to rip a little smirk from his lips. Allison’s go to insult for everyone she didn’t like seemed to be the word asshole and the fact she wasn’t just petty but right about it only made it all the more funny. The Black Ranger _had_ been an asshole, but he guessed he could appreciate the attitude if the man was as helpful as he had been today. The Ranger could seriously fight and he had come through at the right time when Neil had put together his crazy plan. Neil figured it was better to have someone like that on their side at least some of the times rather than none of the times. That way, whenever Riko showed up again trying to… what exactly was he trying to do?

“General Muldani said something” he blurted, not thinking about the conversation he’d just probably interrupted.

“What do you mean?” Coach asked and Neil strained to remember the exact words the General had said.

“Death and destruction. That’s what will come to us once Riko finds what he’s looking for. That’s what she said”

“You’re right, she did splutter something about it” Seth confirmed.

“Could she be talking about their perfect army?”

But Neil shook his head slowly in thought. “It didn’t sound like it. It sounded like he was after something, like an object or something”

“Kevin, does that ring any bell?”

The taller boy shook his head. By now it wasn’t really surprising that their teammate chose to remain quiet whenever General Muldani was brought up, but at least he added some information to his response. “Not that I can think of. Riko’s always been obsessed with finding the right people for his army, but I never heard why”

The room fell into silence for a while after that, everyone too worried and yet too tired at the same time to give it any real thought at the matter, but it wasn’t until Coach clapped his hands together that they all had to break out of their exhausted haze.

“Whatever the case, we won’t be figuring it out today. We’ll just have to pay more attention from now on and maybe fish some information out of the Ravens next time they show. For now… let’s go back to work, but take it easy. You all did a great job”

Everyone nodded and they made their way tiredly to the ground floor.

As much as Neil would have liked to lose himself in the mindless task of cleaning, his brain just wouldn’t shut up about anything.

_There’s another Ranger. The Black Ranger. I should start cleaning something. He was awesome! My plan wasn’t stupid. I need to find her. Bathroom? Locker rooms? Kevin was weird today. Fucking hate Ravens. He saved our asses. Still thirsty. Tired. Weirdly hungry. A Black Ranger. Six Rangers. Riko’s army. Number 5. He was an asshole. He was awesome! He was—_

“Back already?” Neil was startled out of his thoughts and he ran a hand through his hair to force his mind not to scatter like that again.

“Andrew… yes. Just got back”

“Good, then you can help me with the gym” Neil groaned inwardly but followed the blond to where he’d left his cleaning cart earlier and then they made their way to the gym.

As always, the place wasn’t really packed so the job was a quiet affair and if Neil was cleaning at a slower pace than usual, at least Andrew wasn’t giving him any grief for it.

About halfway through it, Andrew got a text on his phone about a kid throwing up near the metal doors that led to the reception desk and he gave Neil a small two fingered salute before pushing his cart out of the gym. Despite having to finish the gym on his own, Neil was just glad he wouldn’t be the one cleaning a little kid’s vomit off the floor.

Not long after Andrew left, Neil’s communicator beeped and for a moment he was afraid they were being called back to the command centre because the Ravens had decided to reappear. But when he saw the text message notification on the screen, he was reminded of the fact the communicator was also a phone and he frowned because no one besides Nicky had ever texted him on the thing. But the name of the contact staring back at him from the screen wasn’t his.

* _Thought of your question yet?_ *

It was Andrew.

With everything that had been on his mind since the Raven alert earlier, he hadn’t even had time to decide what else he wanted to ask his blond co worker in the questions game they were now apparently playing. He racked his brain for all of one minute before deciding to be honest and not waste his turn on something simple.

* _No_ *

The thing beeped again a few seconds later.

* _Don’t sit on it too long. I won’t owe you forever_ *

* _What do you want me to ask?_ *

* _Is that your question?_ *

* _Is that yours?_ *

Neil stared at the screen for a few more moments but no other messages came through, so he put the thing away in his pocket and kept doing his job.

_The Black Ranger. Have to find her. Not cleaning vomit. Work. Work. Work. Riko’s army. Perfect Ravens. Fucking Ravens. Need a plan. Not a stupid plan. Andrew’s stupid. He was amazing! The Black Ranger. Six Rangers. What to ask. What to ask. What to ask Andrew._

_What to ask._

_What to ask._

_What to ask._

_What where you doing this morning on the roof?_

**_Next episode: There’s no I in TEAM_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Ranger? Did not see that coming at all... 🤭 lol  
> Also, General Muldani? Poor Kevin sure has a hard time facing the Ravens, but he does it, so kudos to him!
> 
> I apologize for how short the episode was but I just couldn’t make it longer, and I tried, I really did, but it just wasn’t working.  
> Sorry for the lack of pictures on this episode but worry not because I have a little something I’m working on for this episode that will go up on Tumblr as soon as it’s done.
> 
> With this episode we’ve officially reached the first quarter of the season and I couldn’t be more excited 🙌🏼 I want to thank you all who have taken the time to leave a comment or kudos or who have stopped by Tumblr and liked my posts. I’ll always try to keep you as updated as I can on the story and its progress. Remember that you can drop by any time and ask me whatever you want, you can also just drop by to say hello and that’ll put a smile on my face so 🤗🙌🏼✨
> 
> See you on the next episode?


	6. There’s no I in TEAM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another episode of the Power Rangers: Foxhole Force 🙌🏼  
> I case you missed it, there’s an extra scene between episodes 5 and 6 posted on tumblr. It’s tittled Episode 5.5: Is that even legal? Make sure to read it before this!

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_Neil ran into some trouble while searching for his mother but luckily, Andrew showed up just in time to stop things from escalating any further. Later, Lieutenant Mureau and a new perfect Raven, General Muldani, were sent to destroy the Rangers for their constant interference. They almost succeeded but a new and unexpected ally wearing the same outfit as the Rangers prevented it from happening. The Black Ranger, a mysterious unfriendly warrior who wouldn’t so much as talk to them. After a brief explanation from his team, Neil was left wondering who this mysterious Ranger was and whether he would show up to help them again._

**S1 E6: There’s no I in TEAM**

* * *

“Matt! To your left!” Allison yelled as everyone ran in a different direction.

“Where is it!?”

“I said left!”

“Your other left dumbass!” Seth replied for her.

“He’s going your way!”

Then Dan from the command centre. “For fuck’s sake! Does anyone actually have it?”

“I only see Thea”

“Of course you do!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Wait, guys" Neil intervened next. "Where’s the target?”

“Seth has him”

“Seth is right here, asshole!” the Yellow Ranger replied himself and then things started to get really out of hand.

“Then where—?”

“Ahhhh!”

“Was that—?”

“I told you to take the target out of here!”

“You said to find the monster!”

“To everyone else, not you!”

Then it was Matt's turn to talk. “Stop it, both of you! We need to get to the target. Dan, do you see him?”

“I already told you there’s no coverage in the forest”

“Great”

“Let’s just keep moving. We can’t let the Ravens take him”

Neil was running, the trees blurring in the sidelines as he waved through them in order to chase down their latest prey.

Barely at the beginning of their morning shift, the Power Rangers had gotten an early duty call when the Raven alarm started blaring on their communicators. General Muldani was in town, along with a few other Ravens and a new monster in tow. They’d already marked a new target.

The Rangers had made it in time to enact their usual strategy: distraction and extraction, only something didn’t seem to have gone according to plan because now they’d lost both the target and the monster.

Kevin was on General Muldani’s feet while the other Rangers chased down the monster and the Ravens. Or, at least, they were trying to, because the monster was nowhere to be seen.

Allison and Neil were running after the other Ravens.

But they were fast and there were more than one and soon enough Neil found himself running through the forest alone, listening to the team trying and failing to bring the plan back on its rail while he tried to pick up the Raven’s trail. Why the Ravens were running away instead of facing them head on, Neil didn’t know.

He was running past the edge of the trees when he saw it. A shadow of movement to his left that caught his attention, but when Neil turned in that direction, the shadow was gone.

He frowned and kept going.

“Dan, has any Raven broken out of the forest into the streets?” he asked, doing a 360º in hopes of glimpsing the shadow again.

“No. The monitors haven’t picked up anything”

Then they must still be in the forest, which was neither good nor bad. Staying in the forest meant less of a risk of causing a ruckus in the city but, as Dan had already told them multiple times, it was next to impossible to get video coverage in the forest so they were practically running around blind. He guessed they just had to keep going until they caught up to their targets.

Then Neil turned around to head back into the forest and gasped. The shadow again. He caught sight of it for merely a second before the thing sprinted away from him in a different direction than the one he had come from. Whatever was casting that shadow was fast and it was big but, most important of all, it wasn’t a Raven. Neil couldn’t be able to tell what it was, he’d only glimpsed at it for less than a second, but he was sure it wasn’t the shadow of a Raven, it just wasn’t the right shape.

For some reason, Neil decided to run after it since he still needed to keep searching the forest for any sign of the dark feathered creatures.

He didn’t know if he should bring the strange shadow to anyone else’s attention, seeing as everyone else was busy working on their own angle and apparently not being very successful about it, but he decided against it after a particular harsh remark on Kevin’s part about Matt's performance. They couldn’t afford any more distractions.

Then what the hell was Neil doing chasing after the wrong shape? But he committed himself to the task and kept an eye out for both the shadow and the Ravens.

“I’ve got a Raven near the creek!” Allison shouted as she presumably went after it but no one other than Dan acknowledged her. Neil heard the sound of a blaster being fired in the distance and could only hope that whatever Ranger had engaged in battle was at least holding their ground. They were far too stretched thin as it was, everyone chasing after a different target.

So Neil hurried, trying to locate his own Raven and be done with it so he could go back to the others and help them. Coach had been very clear: the target was their priority and they were failing miserably at keeping track of him.

Then a couple of yards away, Neil finally spotted the Raven. It was more of a lucky shot than anything, really, because he'd given up on the thing's trail a while back, seeing as he hadn't been able to pick anything up for some time now. In fact, the only reason he went running in that direction at all was because of the shadow, a shadow that had apparently managed to lead him straight to the Raven.

So Neil gave his pace a bust of speed and shouted into his helmet. "I found another Raven!"

"Where are you?" Seth asked, to which Kevin obviously replied.

"Shouldn't you be taking care of the target?"

"I was just asking!"

"Ask less and find the target more!"

"Focus on your own job, Day!"

"And you should—"

"Guys!" this time, Matt. "Enough!"

Neil agreed with him before tuning out of the others' shouting and bickering. He was starting to get a headache.

As he continued to run, movement to his left caught his attention once more. The shadow. Whatever big thing was casting that shadow, it was running along side him, skirting between the trees so fast that no matter how much he squinted, Neil couldn't find the source of it. Then another pair of footsteps ruffled through the leaves on the ground at his other side and Neil was startled enough to gasp and then arch his eyebrows in surprise.

The Black Ranger.

_He showed up._

Silent as ever, the Black Ranger ran along side him for a couple of feet. During that time, their gazes locked on each other through their helmet visors almost as if they were sizing each other up before the other Ranger dismissed him and sped forward, gaining enough distance to reach the Raven first and take care of it on his own. Neil didn't even have time to say anything.

When he turned to his left again, the shadow was already gone.

Neil skidded to a halt as he finally reached the Raven but as much as he wanted to engage in the battle as well, it was clear that the Black Ranger didn't need any help. Just like that first time he'd seen him fight, the Black Ranger was all speed and calculated attacks. He was handling the lone Raven all on his own, the creature's talons unable to slash at the elusive Ranger and the fight coming to an end faster than it would have had Neil been the one in it. If as the Red Ranger Neil felt unexpectedly jealous of that, then no one had to know.

_Practice._

_Experience._

_Time._

Well, no one but his Fox.

Neil sent an annoyed thought at the Red Fox for his unnecessary input and focused his attention back on the battle. The Black Ranger did a frontflip, jumping over the Raven and taking his blaster out all while sailing through mid air. He shot the weapon at the Raven so many times that by the time he landed, there was a screen of smoke covering the place. When all the sparks and smoke cleared out, there was nothing but a pile of burning feathers in the Raven's place.

Yep, definitely jealous.

Neil took a step forward. "Who—?"

But the Black Ranger turned on his hills and ran deeper into the forest, leaving a grumbling Neil behind.

Finding himself alone once again, Neil stood still and waited silently for a few minutes in case he caught sight of the strange shadow from before, but the forest remained still and so Neil tuned back into the voices inside his helmet.

"The Raven by the creek is down!" Allison yelled after a second. "And the Black asshole is here, by the way"

Neil tapped the side of his helmet. "My Raven is down too. Does anyone have the monster? And the target?"

"Not me! Stupid monster is nowhere to be seen" Matt replied clearly frustrated while Seth barked that he hadn't been able to see the target either.

Before Kevin could start yelling their ears out about it, Neil decided to ask him next. "What about Muldani?"

That was always a sure way to get him to tone down his criticising personality. "She fled"

Awesome.

"Let's reconvene at the creek" he suggested and had to tap into the map function of his visor or he wouldn't be able to locate the place at all.

* * *

"Anything?" Neil asked once the team gathered at the creek where Allison had been waiting.

"Nothing" Matt replied, frustration still evident in his voice. "Everyone just vanished"

"Where's the Black Ranger?"

Allison snorted. "Where do you think? He's gone"

So much for trying to find out who he is. Neil pushed aside his disappointed curiosity though and asked about the target again.

"For all we know, the Ravens already have him. Why else would they suddenly leave?"

"They don't have him" Kevin stated and Seth turned to him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How do we know they don't?"

"Because of something Thea said"

Of course, Allison exploded after that. "Enough with the name! When are you going to cut that out?"

By now it was no surprise that every time Kevin called the perfect Ravens by their first name, Allison would consistently complain about it. But she usually wasn't so loud or confrontational maybe because she, as everyone else did, could sense it was a sensitive subject for their blue teammate. Now though, she wasn't minding her words.

"I'm not going to stop just because you don't like it!" Kevin yelled in a controlled whisper, clearly fed up with Allison's attitude.

"It's not just me!"

"If anyone else has a problem with–"

"Hey!" Dan intervened with a shout inside their helmets. Neil cocked his head to the side, still not entirely used to hearing someone who wasn't physically there with them speak as if she was. "Stop it. Kevin, what about Muldani makes you think they don't have the target?"

"She said they'd be back"

"Which doesn't mean they don't have him" Allison countered, apparently in the mood for a fight. "They could be coming back to finish us off"

Kevin, making use of his most arrogant tone of voice lifted his head above Allison's in a challenging way. "And they could even end up doing it with how poorly everyone performed today"

"Speak for yourself, asshole!"

And the other three Rangers were left trying to pull Allison and Kevin off each other after that.

"Could you stop acting like little kids!?" Dan spat while Seth and Matt pulled Allison away and Neil stood in front of Kevin to prevent him from retaliating any further. "Come back to the centre and lets figure this out like _adults_ "

"Come on guys, she's right" Matt added in that conciliatory way of his and after some cursing on Allison's part, they eventually agreed and went back to the Foxhole Court.

But things didn't settle at the command centre and now that they were unmorphed, words weren't necessary to see how angry their two teammates were at each other. Allison's piercing gaze and Kevin's deep scowl were enough to chill the temperature in the room and Neil could only stare in wonder because he'd never seen the two of them so at odds with each other before.

"Now, before we report such an unsuccessful mission to Coach" Dan began, scolding everyone at once without actually doing so. "Let's see what else we can find out"

She turned to the main computer on her desk, the one Andrew and him had used barely a week ago to very illegally hack into some databases hoping to catch wind of his mother, and she typed a few things before every street camera that even caught a glimpse of the edge of the forest showed up on the screen. "If the Ravens didn't take the target, then that means he's either still somewhere in the forest or he found his way out of it on his own. If he did, he may have been caught on camera"

"If _someone_ hadn't lost track of him, he would be safely back home by now" and, seriously Kevin? If Neil didn't know any better by now, he would say the taller man was trying to pick a fight on purpose.

Seth, of course, didn't let the jab slide. " _You said_ to go after the monster. And the monster was after the guy so I was after him anyway!"

"And you lost him!"

"I wasn't the only one out there today Kevin! Just what the hell crawled up your ass today?"

As they continued to argue, Neil felt a sudden jolt in his chest. He brought a hand up to it and frowned at the feeling of unease creeping up his spine all the way to the back of his mind. Something was wrong with his Fox.

Neil rubbed small soothing circles into his chest almost unconsciously as he tried to send some sense of calmness towards the Fox.

This was so weird. Out of the two of them, Neil was the one with anxiety issues, sometimes rubbing the feeling into his Fox by accident because of how connected they were while it was the Fox who tried to instill calming thoughts into his mind. Now though, it was the other way around and Neil couldn't help but think that the Red Fox's anxiety had been spiked due to the constant fighting around them.

"Guys..." he started, voice barely above a whisper as he swallowed convulsively around the knot in his throat. He wanted to ask them to stop, the arguing only increasing in volume, making the Fox shudder in fear. If Neil ever had to describe what he was feeling right now, he would say it was like trying to calm down a cornered animal. The Red Fox had never acted like this before.

"There!" thankfully, Matt put a stop to it all by signaling to one of the video feeds on the screen. "Babe, zoom in on that"

Neil was finally able to take in a deep breath when everyone else fell silent in order to stare at the screen. Matt had caught sight of a limping figure coming out of the trees and hurrying across the road towards a convenience store, probably looking for some help. When the camera was able to take a shot of the guy's face, they could see a thin trail of blood running from his upper cheek to his mouth. It was the target alright.

"So we know where he is" Allison stated surprisingly calm.

"Not really" Dan corrected her and paused the video, leaving a still picture of the target's face on display. "The feed isn't live. I was looking at the available feeds from before you even made it out of the forest. The time stamp is from thirty-five minutes ago"

"So he literally slipped past us" Matt said and before Kevin or Seth could get into it again, Neil cleared his throat and finally found his voice.

"At least he slipped past the Ravens too. Do we know if he went into the store?"

Dan unpaused the video and they watched as the guy hurried down the street without entering anywhere. He probably just wanted to put as much distance between himself and the Ravens as possible. Neil didn't blame him. But then the range of the street camera ended and Dan slumped back in her chair. "The cameras lost him after that"

"So he could be anywhere"

"At least not with the Ravens" Neil stated again, trying to focus on the only positive aspect of the situation.

"What now?" Matt asked.

"Thea said—"

" _Thea_ " Allison interrupted, but her remark didn't go further than that. "Already told us what she'd do. They could go after the same target or look for someone else. Either way, they'll pop up on our radars again so we just have to wait. We've done this before"

"You're right" Kevin agreed to everyone's surprise. Even Allison narrowed her eyes at him. "We just have to wait, so I'll go update Coach about it"

And then he turned around to leave when nobody offered an answer.

"Guys, what happened today can't happen again" Dan stated with a defeated sigh.

Allison huffed and started walking towards the stairs. "Tell that to him"

And she was gone too. A few seconds after that, Seth went down the stairs. Matt excused himself and followed, saying he should have been at practice over an hour ago and he kissed Dan on the forehead before he left.

"Neil, you okay?" the redhead realized he had a hand on his chest still and he ran it through his hair before dropping it to the side.

"Yeah, it's just... umm... they..."

Dan let out a sigh. "It happens sometimes. Ally and Kevin have just very strong personalities so they clash sometimes and Seth doesn't help matters either. Honestly, if it wasn't for Matt, the three of them would butt heads more often than not. You should have seen them before he joined the Force. It's a good thing you're here too now"

Neil nodded and excused himself to go to work quickly after that. He didn't know how good he was for the team's dynamic or not, but what he was certain of, it's that the Red Fox didn't like it when the others fought so much. From now on, he would try to make sure to interrupt any arising arguments if it meant saving his Fox from going through that same amount of anxiety ever again.

* * *

Things were somewhat better down at the youth centre if only because none of the Rangers had to work together on the same task. Kevin spent the day on the exy court, not even coming out to have lunch but staying and taking shots on goal during the whole break until it was time for practice again.

Matt kept himself busy with his teams while Seth sat behind the front desk at the reception area and only moved when it was time to eat. Allison was nowhere to be seen.

Neil himself didn't talk much to anyone other than a few words exchanged with Andrew before lunch and as he’d cleaned his way through the bathrooms, he’d focused all his energy into leaving every surface spotless. Maybe that way his Fox would be busy enough through him to not worry so much about the unfriendly atmosphere around them.

Neil guessed he shouldn't have been surprised about how things had gone that morning. It had been a whole month already since he'd arrived to the city and, if anything, Neil had thought everyone on the team got along surprisingly well considering the two main groups of employees at the youth centre didn't exactly mingle. It was Dan, Allison, Renee, Matt and Seth on one corner versus Aaron, Nicky and Kevin on the other. And even though the others saw themselves as part of Andrew's crew, the truth was the blond janitor spent as much time with them as he did with everyone else. If anything, the Foxhole Court had three different cliques because Andrew constituted one all on his own.

Neil wasn't really sure where he belonged in that spectrum. He'd agreed to stay at the Force for a year, did that mean he had to make room for himself inside one of those cliques? Did he have to choose sides? He didn't like that idea.

But he thought about it anyway as the morning shift came to an end and then lunch hour came around, bringing with it the need to choose who he’d be having lunch with that day. Neil usually alternated between eating with Andrew’s crew and eating with Allison’s, as he’d come to differentiate them in his mind, and no one had ever really commented on this habit, but today’s choice seemed specially dooming no matter what he did even when none of the angrier Rangers were present at the tables.

Eventually he chose to eat with Aaron and Nicky during the second lunch wave if only because he wouldn’t have to deal with so many people. Where did Andrew always spent his lunch breaks, Neil didn’t know, but he was starting to think the other man had the right idea when he disappeared altogether for the whole thing.

Would the others think he’d already chosen because of today? Urgh, he’d never really had to worry about these things before and the headache that had started that morning but had thankfully begun to fade away came back full force with just trying to figure out how all this social interacting thing was supposed to work.

But since it wasn't something he could figure out right away, he simply pushed his cleaning cart out of the cafeteria that he and Andrew had just spent the last hour putting back together after lunch. And as they passed the metal doors that connected the reception area with the rest of the Court, one of the kids from the basketball team walked distractedly in front of them. Neil could even recognize him as one of the Monkeys that Andrew coached from time to time, though he wouldn't be able to say what number of monkey he was if his life depended on it.

When the kid almost ran into Andrew's cart and he still didn't look up from his distracted stroll, the blond cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Oh... hey, Drew"

Neil still couldn't get over the fact that these kids liked their sporadic substitute coach so much they even had a nickname for him. The fact that Andrew allowed them to use it, though, had been the most surprising revelation.

"You're late for practice"

"I know. I got detention in school"

The boy was young, maybe eleven or twelve years old and he carried a worn backpack that looked heavier than the kid himself. As he answered Andrew's statement, the kid looked down at his shoes and shifted his weight nerviously from one foot to the other.

"What happened?"

"A guy pushed me, so I punched him"

It was impressive, really, how the blond never gentled his tone or his expressions with the kids and yet they all looked up at him as if he'd hung the moon up or something. Right now, for example, the boy's gaze was stuck on Andrew, his eyes wide and almost pleading as he waited for the blond's reply. Was he expecting a scolding? Why was Andrew's reply so important to him?

As it was, Neil found himself curious enough to see how the blond would react. Was he even aware of how much his opinion seemed to matter to the kid?

"Next time, don't get caught" which was apparently a lot, because as soon as the words left Andrew's mouth, the kid's whole demeanor changed, his back straightening proudly as his face split into a troublemaker's grin.

"The coward ratted"

"Then do it off school grounds. Can't give you detention for that"

Neil gaped as the two of them exchanged a fist bump before the kid ran towards the locker rooms with a more energized stride. Before he and Andrew parted ways to keep up with their schedule though, Neil hurried a few steps until they were side by side.

"Shouldn’t you be like _not_ encouraging that behavior?"

Andrew shrugged and looked towards the courts that were as busy as ever. "He shouldn't be getting pushed around in the first place yet here we are"

"The world's a cruel place" Neil agreed.

"More like the people in it"

And wasn't that an irrefutable truth? Which, speaking of, made Neil think about the truth game Andrew had started with him. "I know what I want to ask you"

The blond tore his gaze away from the courts and lifted an eyebrow at him. "You realize it's been two weeks now, right?"

"Two weeks aren't forever, so my turn still counts"

"Shoot, then. I've got work to do"

"What's your favorite sport?"

Andrew arched an eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe Neil would waste a turn with a question so simple. “None"

"What? No way. You must at least like basketball. It's the only sport you help out with, like, ever"

Andrew stopped walking only to send the most deadpanned expression Neil had ever seen on his face. "I don't like anything"

"Umm..." but the blond didn't wait for him to gather his thoughts before changing directions and heading over to the rows of stands that ran along one side of the courts, taking the cleaning cart with him. "Aren't you taking a turn?"

Andrew didn't even look back when he answered. "I don't want to know anything"

The redhead sighed as even his Fox felt the same spark of uneasiness from earlier igniting back within him. So much for a friendly environment.

After that, Neil continued his way towards the materials' room, which is where Nicky found him some time later, halfway through untangling the volleyball net. He swore whatever team always dismantled the court last threw everything haphazardly into the room just to make his life harder.

“Neil, my man! Been looking for you”

“We just spent an hour together”

“Yeah, not talking, which… may I just say, is boring and rude”

Nicky lingered at the door, watching as Neil struggled with the net with a mocking smile on his face. "If you're just gonna stand there, at least help me with this thing"

Nicky chuckled. "Geez, I'm coming already"

Together, they managed to fold the net properly in half the time it would have taken Neil to do it alone and the redhead picked up the broom to start sweeping.

"So what do you want?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with the fundraising event? Aaron and Renee are busy, and the rest are at practice"

"Ask Andrew"

That made Nicky bark a laugh. "Yeah, right"

Neil made the other boy sit over a pile of mats so he could sweep under his feet. "Isn't that Allison's job?"

"She's not in the best mood right now. Actually, everyone's kind of moody today"

Which was both accurate and a bit of an understatement all at once. Neil's shoulders slumped as he answered.

"A target got hurt because of us"

"Ah... did the Ravens take him?"

"No, but they're not done for today"

"I'm sure you guys did everything you could" Neil wasn't so sure about that but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"So, about the fundraising?" Nicky asked hopefully after a while.

"Does it have to be now?" Neil signaled to the room around them as he switched the broom for the mop hoping Nicky would get the hint and not insist on it. Neil's mind was busy enough as it was without having to add planning a fundraising event on top of everything else.

"Awww come on. Everyone else has blown me off already, don't be mean Neil" the redhead grimaced and Nicky clapped his hands together in a pleading manner. "Pretty pretty please?"

"Urgh, fine. But only for half an hour. I don't want to fall behind on my job"

"Yes! Of course. It won't take that long. So I was thinking like an open doors kind of day where everyone could just come in a try out the sport they like the most and we'll have the coaches and the players do like cool demonstrations and stuff. What do you think?"

Again, Neil made Nicky take his feet off the floor so he could mop under him. "Isn't every day kind of like an open doors day in this place?"

"I mean, yeah but—" a beeping sound interrupted him and they both reached for their communicators. "Oh bummer. Guess you better go now. We'll talk later?"

Neil almost felt bad for being relieved about getting a Raven alert right then. "Sure, later"

"Good luck!" Nicky called as Neil hurried out of the room and through the hallways towards the cafeteria feeling already the rush of adrenalin that always came with an impending mission.

It was time to kick some Raven ass.

* * *

Kevin, Matt and Neil were silent as the three of them made their way upstairs to find Allison and Seth were already studying the monitors with set expressions on their face.

"Where's Dan?" he asked.

"She must still be caught up with practice" Allison replied.

"And Coach?"

But Seth dismissed him as he adjusted the morpher on his wrist. "Who cares? Are we doing this or what?"

"Someone should be at the command centre while we're out. We should wait for one of them to get here" Kevin tried to reason only to get a brisk answer in return from the other boy.

"And risk a target being kidnapped? There's no time to waste"

Kevin and Seth stared at each other with hostility in their eyes, trying to see who would cave in first but neither of them were backing down.

"Where are the Ravens?" Neil asked.

"Near Font Street"

"I say we go" and to Kevin's surprise, it was Matt the one to support Seth's idea.

"What about—?"

"They'll get here when they get here" Seth interrupted as he got into position to transform "Do what you want, but I'm going out there"

"Me too" Allison said and followed Seth to their usual morphing spot.

As Matt went to join them, Neil shrugged his shoulders at Kevin. "I'm with them"

"Fine" the taller man said, throwing his hands up in defeat and completing the formation next to Neil, except he stayed quiet as everyone else waited for him to call out their morph.

Oh, Kevin could be petty sometimes. He was acting like a child on a tantrum and Neil rolled his eyes as everyone looked at the overgrown child with a mixture of annoyance and surprise. What ever happened to not wasting any more time?

"Alright" he let out with a sigh. "I guess I'll do it"

The Red Fox fluttered excitedly in his chest and there was that feeling again, that sense of pride that Neil had never felt directed at him before except for when the Fox did it. If you asked him, he thought it was disquieting and completely misplaced, but damn if it wasn't a confidence boost. It was also grounding and somehow, definitely, comforting.

It was what he needed right now.

"It's morphing time!"

He clasped a hand over the wrist cuff, bending his elbows and lifting his arms to chest level while everyone else followed his lead.

"Power Rangers, Foxhole Force. Ha!"

Nothing, then everything at once. The world around him faded away to be replaced with endless amounts of energy and the color red. Red as the hair color he'd always hated because it was the same as his father's. Red as the anger on the man's face as he inflicted injury after injury on his young body. Red as the blood that seeped from his skin after a lesson in the basement. But, also, red as the Red Fox's aura which was slowly but surely managing to replace his reluctance for the color. Red as the suit that now covered his entire body and hid his features away from the rest of the world. Red as the energy coming alive from within him.

When all the Rangers were standing enveloped in their own colors, Matt pushed the desk button that opened the panel on the wall and on their way they went.

* * *

They reached the scene just as Coach's voice reached their ears.

"I'm here, Rangers. What's the situation?"

"We've got General Muldani again" Allison reported. Neil noticed Kevin's posture relax minimally after hearing Coach's voice.

"And the monster" Matt added. "But I don't see any other— Oh, shit. Is that the target?"

They all followed his hand as he signaled a downed figure crawling backwards away from the monster.

"It's the same guy from this morning"

"Get him out of there" Coach ordered and Kevin set a foot forward.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'll— Seth, wait!" their yellow teammate didn't give Kevin enough time to lay out his plan, instead barreling into the street with a fierce battle cry. "Son of a... _urgh!_ Let's just go"

As he followed the rest of the team into battle, Neil could only think that things weren't off to a great start.

"Oh! It's the Power Rangers again. How lovely" General Muldani mocked as she turned away from the target to face them. She and the monster were standing between the Rangers and the guy who was still valiantly trying to get away from them all, shouting obscenities at the monster as he did.

"Get away from him!" Kevin warned and Muldani's smirk turned dangerously predatory right then.

"Or what" her voice dripped with venom.

She extended her arm, the black Raven sword growing out of her hand and she lurched forward, foregoing all conversation and jumping straight to the action. But as she was about to engage Kevin, both Allison and Seth intercepted her and forced the perfect Raven to fight them instead. As he caught on to their plan, Neil nudged Kevin's arm in the monster's direction.

"Come on. They've got this"

The Blue Ranger nodded and set his sight on the monster. "Let's do this"

They charged the monster, freeing Matt of any responsibility other than making his way to the target to get him to safety. But Neil only had time to see the Green Ranger be intercepted by Muldani as she took on three Rangers at a time, because he and Kevin reached the monster and got ready to attack.

"You'll have to catch me first!" the thing yelled as it dodged each and every one of their hits.

The Rangers didn't have much experience with monsters like this. Neil remembered thinking that the first monster they'd battled, the one at the mall, hadn't been the brightest cookie in the jar, though that hadn't made it any less dangerous or strong. The monster they were facing now was fast, dizzyingly so, and they were having trouble with merely keeping it in their line of sight.

No wonder the monster had managed to ditch them this morning.

"Whoever can get away first takes the target out of here!" Neil shouted, taking his own chance at it when he saw an opening. Kevin had the monster's attention and Neil dashed behind its back. He was closer to the target than anyone else and as he saw the guy trying and failing to get up on his own, that's when he understood why the target hadn't run yet. His injury from that morning must have gotten worse, because every time he tried putting weight on his leg, he grimaced and fell over again.

Neil was about to reach him when he ran head first into the monster.

_What the–_

The impact was so sudden that Neil fell on his ass with half his oxygen forced out of his lungs as if he'd run into a wall. The monster had been battling Kevin, just where the hell had it come from?

Neil got back on his feet at the same time Kevin reached him. "I don't know what happened. He vanished"

"I said you couldn't catch me. That doesn't mean I can't catch _you_ " the thing sneered, giving small little jumps in place like boxers do when facing an opponent on the ring.

Neil glanced at the target behind the monster. He had been so close.

"We'll see about that" this thing wanted fast? He could give it fast. "Red Staff!"

"Blue Staff!"

Kevin followed his lead and they summoned their weapons, charging at the monster with everything they had hoping their long reach weapons would be enough to counter its speed.

As the battle dragged on, Neil found himself waiting for something to happen but before he could ask himself just what exactly he was expecting to see, the answer came to him as the unbidden memory of the Black Ranger destroying the Raven from that morning on his own. The Black Ranger made it all look so easy. He was able to kill that Raven without a single slash taken and he'd been able to deal with two perfect Ravens at the same time the first time he'd made his appearance to save the team's collective ass. If only the Ranger would show up now, Neil was sure they could get the upper hand. But would he? He'd already helped them that morning, what if that was enough for their mysterious helper?

Whether he decided to show up or not, Neil had to work with what they had, and what they had was a scattered team fighting two different obstacles at once. By now, Neil had been part of the Force long enough to know what they had to do to defeat them, so he jabbed his staff directly at the monster's gut and took advantage of its momentary distraction to signal Kevin and jerk his head in the other's direction. The taller Ranger understood inmediately and, together, they lured the monster back towards Muldani and the rest of the team.

"Get back here you pests!"

Neil thought the bad guys were definitely lacking in the creativity department. "Who are you calling a pest? Catch _us_ if you can"

Slowly but surely, they managed to get the monster and Muldani in the same spot and they joined their team to face off against them in their usual formation.

"Summon your weapons" Neil told the others as Kevin distracted Muldani by dragging her into conversation.

"Kevin" Coach spoke from the command centre. "Ask her about Riko's plan"

Their blue teammate didn't waste any time. "Last time you said destruction was coming. What is Riko planning?"

As Muldani talked, Neil saw the other's weapons appear silently at their backs. The Kit Gloves, Corsac Whip and Blanford Bow. Now they just needed to time their attack right.

"You shouldn't speak so carelessly, Kevin dear. Our _King_ doesn't like it when you do"

"He is not my King. Just tell us what he wants. Why is he building an army?"

Muldani smirked and her sword arm tensed in preparation for a fight. They didn't have much time. "You'll have to wait to find out"

It was now or never.

"Fox Cannon!" Neil yelled the command out of the blue, taking Muldani and the monster by surprise as the weapons transformed and assembled in his hands. He felt Allison's and Kevin's hand on his shoulders and waited for Matt and Seth to take position with a hand on the cannon before aiming straight at their enemies. "Fire!"

It should have worked. The fireball should have reached and destroyed the monster in site while debilitating Muldani enough to make her run away to the Nest. But that wasn't what happened.

Even if they'd taken them by surprise while assembling the cannon, the monster and the General reacted fast enough to dive out of the way, the fireball sailing harmlessly between them to explode at the front of a building.

"What!?"

"No way!"

Neil felt the cannon disassemble in his hands as everyone got their weapons back.

"They dodged it!"

Muldani laughed as she raised her sword. "You thought that would work on me twice?"

And just like that, the battle was renewed.

The General went straight for Kevin, singling him out while the monster prevented anyone else from joining them. Neil, Matt, Seth and Allison were cut off from their fight and could only hope Kevin could deal with Muldani while they tried to hold their own ground.

"I'm getting tired of this" Allison spat between clenched teeth and went after the monster with everything she had, brandishing her whip left and right and managing to strike the monster a couple of times.

The good thing about the new distribution was that four against one were better odds than before when dealing with the monster. The thing was still fast and the Rangers got as many hits as they gave, but at least they were gaining some ground and as time went by, they were able to wear the monster down enough to get some breathing room.

The bad part? Kevin had gotten the short end of the stick and was now locked in a fierce one on one battle against General Muldani, a battle the perfect Raven was determined to win.

"You think you can change!" she spat at Kevin while he deflected her strikes with the blue staff. "You think you can forget what you truly are!"

She was yelling loud enough for everyone to hear her but they could only hear Kevin's response because their communication was open inside their helmets. "I'm not a Raven. I never wanted to be one"

"You were given a gift!"

"You didn't use to think that. That's not you talking!"

"Oh!? And who would you like me to be? That pathetic and scared little girl?"

"You weren't pathetic Thea"

"Well, _you_ were. And you will be again!"

Thunder boomed above them but it was Allison's scream that let Neil know that something really bad was about to happen. "KEVIN!"

Neil risked taking his eyes off his own fight to watch in horror as a stream of lightning connected with Muldani's sword before she brought her weapon down on the Blue Ranger in a side arch.

Kevin was standing too close. The attack caught him straight in the middle and he let out a pained yell before sparks exploded all over his body and he was blasted backwards to land in a rolling hip on the ground. Neil's eyes widened as the blue suit flickered a few times before disappearing in a weak blue light.

Kevin had morphed out.

None of them thought twice about it. They abandoned the monster in order to race to Kevin's side. The downed Ranger was clutching his middle with a pained grimace on his face and his breaths were coming out in short gasps. Neil, Seth and Matt formed a protective wall in front of him as Allison kneeled by his side to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Kevin. Kevin! Are you okay?"

Kevin tried to talk but had to settle with a curt nod when his breath failed him. Like any of them believed that.

"Tsk-tsk, Kevin dear. You also used to be stronger than that"

"Fuck off, Muldani" Neil spat, taking a step forward and raising his staff. Neil had felt the power behind the Raven's lightning strike once before and he knew it to be painful and debilitating. That time though, the Ravens hadn't been as close to him as Kevin and Muldani had been, so he could only just imagine the kind of damage Kevin had just gone through.

"I'm getting bored of this dance" she chose to reply and summoned the monster closer to her with a call. "See if you can deal with _this_ while I take the King's prize to him"

Neil had honestly forgotten about the target back when the Fox Cannon had failed them and now that she mentioned him, he could see the guy slumped on the same spot as before. Had he passed out? The Rangers were failing miserably at their task. But then Muldani raised her sword to the sky again and Neil's hackles were raised as electricity filled the air once again.

"Rangers!" Coach yelled in their ears. "You can't let Kevin get hit unmorphed!"

Everyone rushed to help him, their protective wall tightening around him as Allison tried to get him to stand. But as the lightning came down, the Rangers were frozen in place by surprise as the sword came down on the monster and not them.

"What the hell?" Seth asked.

They didn't have to wait long to find out.

As soon as the lightning touched the monster, it began to change, Muldani laughing almost maniacally in the background.

"Grooow!" she yelled and the team was left speachless as they witnessed the monster growing out of reasonable proportions.

It grew taller and taller and taller until it was the size of a freaking building and screams began to reach them as people from all over the city saw what had just popped in their hometown. And how could anyone miss it? The monster was huge! And as the thing laughed and lifted a foot off the ground, the only thing running through Neil's mind was why. _Why_ the hell had he decided to come to Palmetto?

* * *

As the monster lifted its foot, they all knew they were screwed.

"Watch out!"

They scrambled to get a hold of Kevin, each Ranger taking a limb and forcing him up just in time for them to jump aside and avoid getting stamped into the ground. As they landed, Kevin let out a pained yell and clutched his middle with renewed strength.

"Kevin, can you morph yet?" Neil asked but the downed boy shook his head with a grimace.

"B-broken" Neil looked down to his ribs and cursed.

Meanwhile, the monster kept walking past them, each giant step taking him further away from them and towards the heart of the city. If the Rangers didn't find a way to stop it, it would destroy everything in its pass!

Matt whirled back towards General Muldani when they heard her laughing again. "What the hell did you do?"

"Ah... just a little something we've been working on. Hope you have fun with it!"

"We won't let you take the target away!" Seth spat but Muldani only laughed harder.

"Then who's gonna take care of that?"

Another giant step made the ground tremble beneath their feet and Neil tapped the side of his helmet in desperation. "Coach! Coach, what the hell do we do? How did she make it grow like that?"

"This is insane!" Allison added, still supporting Kevin in a hunched position where they had landed.

"I've never seen anything like this" came Coach's stunned reply and Neil felt his stomach rolling and his chest contracting.

"We can't... use the Fox Cannon without Kevin" Matt supplied, sounding strangely out of breath.

Seth sent his arms up with a frustrated growl. "Have you seen the size of that thing? The cannon wouldn't even tickle it!"

"We should... there has to be..." Neil frowned and brought a hand to his chest. Why was he so out of breath? "Guys...?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Seth asked as Neil doubled over trying to catch his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matt doing the same. "You too?"

"What's going on?" Coach asked. Allison let go of a slightly steadier Kevin to catch Neil as he fell on all fours openly gasping for breath.

"It's Matt and Neil. Something's wrong with them"

"Matt? Neil? Talk to me, what's happening?" Coach tried but Neil just shook his head. He couldn't speak.

 _What's going on!?_ He asked his Fox but what he got in reply was another wave of breathless sensation. And that was the thing, he was feeling _too. Damn. Much._ What had started as a little shortness of breath grew out to become a sensory overload where everything was too loud and everything was too bright and the ground beneath his hands and feet was too hard. His vision was whitening out and as he made a herculean effort to lift his head up in search of his team, the only thing he was able to see was his own shadow. But something wasn't quite right, because his shadow was moving and it was growing, getting longer and longer until it was hard to see where it ended. And then Allison let go of his shoulder with a surprised yelp as she, Kevin and Seth stared at something ahead of them.

Neil heard Muldani in the distance, she was cursing the life out of them as whatever the hell was happening continued to happen and Seth let out another eloquent _What the hell?_ that Neil's ears were too busy buzzing to catch properly and he was still fighting to take a proper breath and he wanted nothing more than to reach up and unbuckle his helmet because he needed some damn room to just _breathe_ and he didn't understand what was happening and his Fox was acting strange inside him and Neil felt like his life was being slowly sucked out of him and—

And then everything stopped.

As suddenly as it had started, Neil felt his senses return back to normal almost as if he'd slammed into a wall and he gulped down lungfuls of breath that were finally able to fill his chest. His heart was still beating wildly but he attributed it to the adrenalin of almost dying by unknown causes. Then he looked up and could only stare in shock as he mimicked his yellow teammate's accurate words.

"What... the hell?"

He looked to the side towards Matt and the Green Ranger was in a similar state, gaping ahead because apparently whatever had just happened to them wasn't over yet.

Their shadows had stretched so long that they occupied the entire street and as he studied his own more carefully, he realized what it was that made the shadow look so different, enormous size apart. It was the shape. Instead of casting a human shadow, Neil and Matt were projecting the giant shadows of a fox.

Neil's eyes widened when he recalled that morning’s mission.

That strange shadow... it was the same!

But things didn't end there. All the Rangers stared in amazement as the shadows lifted from the ground to transform into three-dimensional beings. The light from the sun caught on the foxes' skin and glinted off their surface.

Metal. Their skin was metal.

"Impossible" they heard Coach say from the command centre. The man was as baffled as they were.

The whole ordeal probably didn't last more than three minutes, but as Neil stared up at the giant Fox that had just sprouted from his shadow, he felt like he was frozen in time, looking as the grey metal of the Fox's skin turned bright red as the sun continued to shine on it. Matt's Fox was turning green at the same time.

Then the spell was broken when both Matt and Neil felt a pull forward and stumbled a couple of steps. But no one had time to question what was wrong now because they were both lifted from the ground and pulled towards their respective fox as if being forced in by a vacuum.

Neil let out a surprised shout as he sailed through the air sure that he would either crash against the Fox or be eaten by it. He braced himself for impact, his stomach stuck somewhere down below as the rush of being so far up the ground made his insides swirl in fear. He screwed his eyes shut and waited for his inevitable and unforseen demise.

Except the impact never came and next time he opened his eyes, Neil was standing completely at ease in the middle of an empty white room. The floor was steady beneath his feet and though he could see the white wall in front of him, he could also see the outside world through his visor. Seeing the two at the same time was difficult and when he tried to pick just one to stare at, it became dizzying. But if he didn't try to focus on either one so hard, then the view from the outside world became clearer and he was able to distinguish the buildings standing not over him but beside him, and when he looked down at the ground, more than several feet below, he saw the small colored dots of Allison and Seth staring up at them. At least General Muldani seemed as shocked as they all were.

A low hum resonated through the walls of the white room and Neil felt the Fox's consciousness brush against his own stronger than ever before.

_Red?_

The Fox hummed in confirmation and took a step forward, making Neil feel like he was moving his own leg without actually doing so. The giant metal Fox he was currently inside of groaned and shook as it moved for the first time and Neil had to catch his balance by balancing his arms on either side of him.

Of course, that's when his brain decided to panic.

* * *

"Coach!? What the hell is happening? Guys? Are you there? Why am I inside a giant fox? No one said anything about a giant metal fox!"

"Are you guys okay?" Allison asked as she waved from bellow to call their attention. Neil felt vertigo just by looking down at her, which was why he ignored her in favor of looking to his right where the other Fox stood.

"Matt? You in there? You see what I see?" he asked.

The Green Ranger's voice was tight and controlled, way too controlled. "I'm trying not to see anything" and then he started muttering to himself. "Don't look down, don't look down"

"Matt, Neil, calm down" Coach said trying to be reassuring. "I'm not sure what's happening but we don't have time to figure it out. Only you can stop the monster now"

"But how!?" Neil could see the monster in the distance. The thing was still taller than the Foxes, the giant animals barely reaching waist height and it was slowly but steadily making its way into the heart of the city. Neil had no idea what he was supposed to do now and it didn't sound like Matt had any plans either.

"This shouldn't be different than anything else you've done before. If you unlocked this power it's because you were ready to. Now, what do you always do when unleashing a new attack?"

He wanted to protest that this _was_ different. Several feet different. But he took a deep breath and tried not to let the situation get the better of him.

He thought about Coach's words. "I call out to the Fox"

"Then do that now and let the Fox guide you"

Neil closed his eyes and inhaled deeply once more. Whatever was going on now, he could try to figure out later. For now, he could let the Red Fox take over.

"Matt?" he called, blinking his eyes open and setting his sight on the monster. "You with me?"

At least his teammate sounded steadier this time around. "Let's do this"

Neil reached out to his Fox's consciousness and offered it control of the situation.

_Let's end this pile of bricks._

The Fox advanced another step.

 _Agreement_.

Distantly, Neil was aware of the other Rangers minus Kevin resuming the fight with General Muldani but he didn't have any focus to spare. Whatever happened down there, Seth and Allison would have to deal with it themselves. As it was, Neil was too preoccupied urging the Fox not to trip as it ran, mainly because he didn't want to experience falling from this height inside what to all intents and purposes was a giant metal box. Also, he was urging him not to step on anyone.

"Watch where you step on!" he shouted at Matt when one of the Kit Fox's paws squashed a car as if it was nothing but a piece of paper.

"You think we'll have to pay for that?" the other Ranger asked but Coach spoke in before Neil could answer.

"Don't worry about that. Focus on the monster"

"Right"

When the Foxes reached it, the monster finally realized there was someone on its tail and he cursed when he saw the Foxes hunched, ready to attack and snarling threateningly at him.

"What is this?" the monster asked and when Neil spoke, he wasn't really surprised his voice had been amplified to reach their opponent's ears. After everything that had already happened, it was honestly the least shocking revelation.

"This is as far as you go" he warned and before he knew it, the Red Fox was leaping forward and sinking its giant metal teeth into the monster's leg.

The monster bellowed and shook his leg like trying to red rid of a crawling insect and Neil’s whole world shook along with it. But the Red Fox was stubborn and it would not let go. How Neil didn’t just fall on his ass as the walls trembled around him, he didn’t know. Matt’s Fox was quick to follow and together they managed to push the monster down on its back. He really didn’t want to think about how much damage they were causing and he could only hope everyone in the inmediate vicinity had already fled. If not, there were sure to be a few murder charges filed against all of them.

“Ackh! What is this!? Ackh!

The Foxes began to devour the monster.

But things could never be that easy. The monster recovered from its shock and hit the Foxes repeatedly until they eventually let go. Neil didn’t feel the punches himself, his body protected inside the Fox, but he could feel his energy diminishing and he was sure the Fox’s energy was still linked to his. If they took too many hits, they risked morphing out. That couldn't happen.

So he straightened his resolve and showed the Red Fox he was ready to end this now. As always, the Fox didn't disappoint. With a vicious snarl, it leapt towards the monster again and began scratching frantically at every available surface.

The monster tried to avoid them, but the Foxes worked fast and it was only a matter of minutes before they overpowered it and brought it down to the ground. A few slashes more and the monster was done for. It exploded into a show of sparks and shrinked to its normal size before it disappeared completely.

"Yes!" Matt exclaimed. "Coach, did you see that?"

The man answered and congratulated them, and before Neil knew it, the white walls around him were closing in on him.

The only reason he didn't panic was because the Red Fox sent a reassuring wave to his mind and so Neil simply watched from inside as the giant Fox shrinked until Neil was no longer looking down from above. The room he was standing on disappeared and Neil was treated with the direct view of the world around him. Then the Fox sank into the ground until it was a shadow again and the shadow came back to his body until it became his regular human shape.

It was over. They had done it.

Matt appeared next to him back to his normal green shape. "Man, that was awesome! Fucking scary but awesome! Kit was amazing!"

Neil smiled even though Matt couldn't see it. "Yeah, it was"

They ran back towards the others, Matt still chatting excitedly about the experience they'd just gone through but when they arrived at the scene, they both sobered up in an instant.

"Oh no" the Green Ranger said. "What happened?"

Allison and Seth were panting on the floor, still morphed but clearly exhausted and Kevin was fighting to remain upright. General Muldani was nowhere to be seen.

"She took him. She has the target"

Cold dread sank into his stomach. "Let's go after them then"

Seth shook his head and got unsteadily back on his feet. "They're probably at the Nest by now"

"So?"

"So we can't go to the Nest! We'd never make it out alive"

"Then what—?”

"He's right" Kevin interrupted. "We can't follow them"

Whatever sense of accomplishment he'd felt at defeating the monster was washed away by the realization that they had failed. The Ravens had kidnapped a man and now they could create another perfect soldier for their army. They'd barely been able to handle two at a time, what would happen when they had to face all three? Yes, they had failed miserably.

"Just come back home Rangers. The police is starting to show"

True to Coach's words, squad cars and ambulances began to pile up at the end of the street and the Rangers made themselves scarce with silent efficiency. They helped Kevin up and supported him, the injured boy keeping his head down so he wouldn’t be recognized by anyone since there was a news van parked somewhere as well.

It was an awkward and silent affair but they made it into the forest towards the hidden entrance of the tunnel and made their way back to the centre where not only Coach but everyone else was waiting for them. It was way past six and the youth centre had already closed for the day.

As they powered out of their suits, Seth wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke with a defeated tone. "Well, that sucked"

* * *

Despite the outcome of their mission, Neil and the Red Fox were still riding a small wave of accomplishment after defeating the giant monster. But the satisfaction didn't last long because as soon as they'd made it to the command centre, all the foxes were at each other's throats.

"Well, that sucked" Seth had said, only to be barked at by Kevin.

"It fucking more than sucked. We lost the target"

"Stay still" Aaron warned as he prodded Kevin's side. They had deposited their injured teammate on one of the desks and Aaron had rushed to his side in an instant.

"Do we know who he is?" asked Renee, going over to Allison who let out a tired snort and a shake of her head.

" _Was_ is more like it" she said and everyone stared at her. "What? It's true"

"You could at least act like you care" Kevin spat venomously and the entire room held a breath.

"You think I don't?"

"Stay still Kevin" Aaron warned again before the taller man could answer, which was probably for the best because Allison looked like she was gearing up for a fight.

"Anyway, if Seth hadn't lost the target this morning, we could've killed the monster and none of this would have happened"

Neil sighed inwardly and leaned back over a desk. It wasn't that Kevin was wrong, technically, but at least he could appreciate that saying something like that was a bit out of line.

"You've got some nerve, Day" Seth replied and the only thing preventing him from charging forward was Nicky's hand on his shoulder. But the angry boy shrugged him off and decided to retaliate with words. "If it's anyone's fault then it's yours"

"Guys" Dan intervened from where she was perched next to Matt. "There's no point trying to—"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you hadn't morphed out, we could've had a chance against Muldani"

Kevin signaled to his damaged ribs. "You think I wanted this?"

"Kevin, _stay still"_

Instead of Seth, it was Allison who replied. "No, but you have to admit that whenever she's around you just space out. You don't seem like yourself with her"

"That's not true"

"Then why the hell don't you fight back?!"

"Enough!" Coach stepped in to put an end to it. "This is not the time to be throwing blame around and I will not have anyone on this team blaming each other for things they cannot control. This mission was a disaster, we all know that but pointing fingers isn't gonna change anything"

Neil couldn't agree more and he brought a hand to his chest like he'd done in the morning to soothe the Fox inside. Red really didn't like it when they fought so hard.

Then Nicky was the next one to talk and Neil was grateful to him for changing the subject. "So... are we gonna talk about the amazing yet slightly terrifying way Matt and Neil transformed into giant foxes?"

"Yes, what was that?"

"And why did it only happen to you two?" Seth asked, envy evident in his voice.

They all changed their focus into the two of them. "Umm... it was weird. It was like the spirit of the Fox found a way out and then absorbed us in. You haven't seen anything like that before?" he asked Coach.

The man scratched a point under his jaw as he spoke. "Never. I've been trying to remember everything I know about the Foxes but nothing like this has ever happened before. It looked like the Foxes adapted to the situation, or maybe the ability was always there but it had never been needed. Whatever the case, what matters is that you guys now have a way to counter the Ravens' new ability to make monsters grow"

Not for the first time Neil wondered just when and why exactly had Coach ended up in charge of the Foxhole Force. He knew the youth centre was built recently, maybe as the perfect excuse to have a command centre upstairs, but that was a story no one had deemed fit to tell him and he hadn't asked.

"And where do they keep finding these monsters?" Matt asked next.

Coach sighed and shook his head. "There's so much we still don't know about the Ravens"

Allison spoke again after having remained silent for a few minutes. "We don't actually know anything. We know they want an army but we don't know why. We know they're searching for something but we don't know what. It seems to me like we’re always one step behind. We've managed to stop them before but they took another person today. How long will it be before we have to deal with another perfect Raven?"

She was right, of course, and the room was plunged into silence for a while before Kevin spoke in a somber tone. "It'll be a few months at least. The process is long and complicated. The transformation won't happen overnight"

As he spoke, Aaron pressed a sore spot that had the taller man flinching in response. The blond sighed and took a step back. "You have at least three broken ribs but none of them are protruding so there's no risk of puncture. We should go to the medic bay and wrap them"

Coach sighed and nodded for them to go. Surprisingly, it was Andrew who stepped closer to help his brother carry Kevin to the other side of the room. Neil had almost forgotten his co worker was even there, since he rarely spoke during team meetings like this and always preferred to keep himself apart from the group. That he silently volunteered to help Kevin was nothing if not unexpected.

After the three of them disappeared through the sliding doors, Coach turned towards Allison. "You could at least have a bit more tact when talking about the perfect Ravens"

"I think we've babied him enough"

Next to Allison, Renee spoke next. "Coach is right, Ally. This is difficult for him"

"I know that but we can't keep ignoring that it's wrong! He needs to let them go"

"He does his job" Neil offered because he'd always thought Kevin to be strong for going up against people that had apparently been his friends once.

Allison looked at him like he'd betrayed her and he couldn't help thinking he'd dug his own grave on Allison's crew. Neil didn't back down though, because even if his comment made it sound like he was choosing Kevin's side, like he was making himself part of Andrew's crew, that was the farthest thing from his mind.

The blond girl ducked out of Renee’s comforting one armed hug and hopped off from the desk. "Whatever" and she disappeared down the stairs. No one stopped her and Seth was quick to follow, sending Neil and everyone else a scathing look.

Neil kept rubbing at his chest as the Red Fox trembled inside him. "Dan, who was the target?"

She wheeled the chair closer to the computer and brought up an image of the guy.

"I ran his face through facial rec and got this. His name is Peter Engle. He's a junior at the local college. Has a girlfriend and two younger siblings. His parents are lawyers"

"His disappearance is gonna be all over the news soon" Matt said gloomily and for the first time in maybe forever, Neil worried about a stranger's life, his future. Was it guilt? It had been up to the Rangers to save him and it was now that Neil began to comprehend how big this job was. It wasn't just about thwarting Ravens' plans, it was about saving people's lives and, as it had been proven today, they could fail and not only the target would pay the price but his family as well, his friends.

_We failed._

The Red Fox whined for a second before sending a warmer feeling to his chest. Now that the fighting around them had stopped, the Fox had calmed down some even if it still felt their failure as deeply as Neil did.

The realization that the Foxhole Force wasn't infallible was a hard pill to swallow and it made Neil wonder if the Force was actually strong enough to shield him from the past he was running from.

If it wasn't, then Neil was in serious trouble.

A confused feeling reached him from within but he shook his head at the Fox. Neil wouldn't leave now, he had places to search and people to find and, besides, he'd made a promise that he wasn't planning on backing down from.

The Fox hummed warmly once again and at least Neil was left feeling marginally better than before.

* * *

Neil was running. The houses blurring in the sidelines as he burned away the rest of his adrenalin.

After Coach dismissed them for the remainder of the day, the two groups had scattered into pairs. Seth and Allison hadn't come back yet while Aaron and Kevin stayed at the medic bay. Dan and Matt had disappeared upstairs and Nicky had finally roped Renee into a conversation about the upcoming fundraising. Andrew had also gone upstairs but as always, he was alone.

Neil had decided to take advantage of the fading daylight to clear his mind with some much appreciated fresh air. He'd been getting used to running in a treadmil at the gym, but he much preferred the rough terrain under his feet. It went without saying that Neil had put on the baggiest sweater he owned and pulled the hood tight over his head, not wanting to run around showing his bright auburn hair.

_At some point you're gonna have to let me change it back._

_Denial! Denial!_

Neil sighed. It was worth a shot.

He ran through thoughts about his past and thoughts about his present. He ran the feeling of failure away and the feeling of duty as well. Neil had never been part of a cause before, unless trying to stay alive counted as one. It was strange, but Neil found himself dreading the concept less and less.

 _People come to the Foxhole Court for the chance to belong somewhere, a team._ Allison's words ecchoed in his brain.

Did he feel part of the team?

The Fox hummed contently inside him and even though Neil didn't have an answer to that question yet, he knew at least he felt a part of the Fox. For now, that was enough.

He ran until the sky turned dark and by the time he made his way back to the youth centre, he was dripping with sweat.

He came to a halt when he heard voices at the side of the building. They were low and he couldn't distinguish a word until he walked closer, making sure to keep his footsteps light as he approached the corner.

"... so stubborn?"

It was Allison and what shocked Neil the most wasn't the fact she had her head tucked into Seth's chest, but the fact she sounded like she was crying.

"I don't know, Alls"

"And then he goes and gets himself hurt. Why does he still care so much about her?"

Her voice was wavery but angry and she sniffled once before Seth replied. "He's an idiot, that's why"

Whatever Allison said next, Neil didn't listen because he'd been carefully backing away from the pair. He wasn't meant to be hearing this, so he wouldn't. Neil made his way inside and walked towards the kitchen, punching in the code that revealed the stairs and going up to the Tower.

There, he found a stream of light coming from the half opened door of Andrew's crew apartment and, without really meaning too, he found himself eavesdropping another conversation, this time unintentionally.

He first heard a small whimper and then Aaron's urgent voice. "Just put the knife away Andrew"

"Don't touch him Nicky, you understand?" Andrew's voice was level but the danger was evident under his tone.

"You know I'd never hurt him. If he says yes—"

"I said no"

Who the hell were they talking about?

"Geez, alright! Now calm down"

"I am calm" Andrew replied and Neil heard some ruffling before the door was thrown open wide.

Neil gasped silently as if he'd been caught redhanded but whoever had come out of the room was still out of sight. He decided to keep walking and round the corner of the hallway as if he hadn't heard anything, not that he actually understood anything of what they'd said, until he came face to face with Andrew.

The blond's face betrayed nothing of what his previous interaction had been all about and Neil sent an acknowledging nod his way before walking around him towards his own door. He felt Andrew's gaze linger on his until the other boy was at his back and Neil made a point not to turn back until he was about to go into his apartment. By the time he did, Andrew was already gone and Neil let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. It wasn't his fault the others hadn't bothered to shut the door closed properly, so what if Andrew knew he'd overheard? Whatever just happened between him and his cousin was none of Neil's business and so he went into his room to grab some clothes and take a much needed shower.

Today had been a really long day and he was looking forward to a good night's sleep, if his brain decided to be cooperative for once and spare him the usual dream program of knives and cleavers.

After a silent dinner with Matt, Neil was finally able to go to bed and as he settled for the night, he felt the Fox's consciousness taking over his own for the night.

There would be no dreams tonight, his Fox would make sure of that.

**_Next episode: A dead end_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone who’s reading this story and who has commented or left kudos because whenever I feel insecure about it, you guys lift up my spirits and that means the world to me.  
> So in this episode we had some dysfunctional dynamics within the team. Things are only gonna get harder from here, so we’ll see where that lead us.
> 
> Now... you didn’t think I would write a Power Ranger aftg AU and not include the zords, did you? They won’t appear in every episode like in the show, but they are definitely there and at least Matt and Neil have already awakened them.
> 
> Also, I realize that the one saying that it’s the people that are cruel and not the world per se is Neil, but I figured I could mix things up a bit. We also had the Nicky and Andrew conversation towards the end about Nicky staying away from Neil, but I felt it wasn’t necessary to write all of it down. After all, we all get the gist of it, lol.
> 
> I hope you liked the pictures as well! I think it’s obvious by now that I have no idea how to digitally paint drawings so I merely put one layer of color over them and hope it looks good enough.
> 
> Next thing I should be updating is my other story “This might be a little out of hand”, so I’ll go work on the next chapter now.  
> See you there!


	7. A dead end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, for a moment I thought this day wouldn’t come. Thankfully I managed to post before the end of the month 🙌🏼
> 
> I wanted to thank you all for your encouragement these past few weeks. Things weren’t easy for me but I’m better now and I was able to finish this episode.
> 
> The episode contains WARNINGS but you’ll see them in the end notes in case you absolutely have to read them because they contain spoilers. So skip to the end notes before reading the episode if you feel you need them. If not, then carry on.
> 
> Since Neil’s relationship with his Fox seems to be a popular thing, I decided to indulge all of us in some heavy Neil-Fox comfort and, also, did I mention... Andreil? 😏 We have to find out what that preview was all about, right? So read ahead!

**_Previously on Power Rangers: Foxhole Force._ **

_The team hit a wall when their dysfunctional dynamic caused a target to get hurt and then taken by the Ravens. The Rangers have no idea where the Ravens continue to produce these terrible monsters from but they are strong and difficult to fight, especially because now the Ravens can make then grow as tall as buildings. Neil and Matt were the only Rangers able to experience their Foxes adapting to the new situation and growing out of their shadows to become giant metal fighting machines capable of handling the Ravens’ newest surprise. Despite being able to defeat the monster though, the target was lost and Kevin got hurt enough to morph out of the suit. Now the team members are crossed and at odds with each other, leaving Neil in the middle of it all trying to figure out how to actually belong._

**S1 E7: A dead end**

* * *

_Abram!_

_Abram!_

"Mom?"

_You stopped. Why did you stop?_

"Mom, where are you?"

_Run. You have to run. Run!_

"Mom, please! I came here to find you"

_Run._

_Run._

_Run._

So Neil ran. He ran through the dark not really knowing where he was or where he was running to but two things were clear: wherever he was he was hearing his mother's voice and wherever he was, he was not alone. He could feel the evil presence of _something_ breathing down his neck even though every time he turned, there was nothing but blackness there. Maybe the evil presence was the darkness itself, in which case it wasn't just behind him but all around him and Neil couldn't help the constant shivers of his spine.

"Mom? You there?"

But his mother's voice didn't answer and not for the first time Neil felt his resolve crumble. He'd lost her again.

Still, he ran.

He ran until the oppressing darkness gave way to a slit of light coming from a hundred feet ahead. It wasn't terribly bright but it was something other than black, so he quickened his steps and forced his eyes on the sliver of light, lest it disappeared and left him stranded in the darkness again.

Why was he alone again? He'd gotten used to the ever present warm spirit of the Fox. Why had he abandoned him? And _where_?

The light came closer, or rather, he came closer to the light and as his eyes adjusted to it, he recognized the underside of a door that quickly turned into the whole frame. Whatever was beyond that door, it had to be better than this because there was light and light made everything better.

So he reached for the handle and didn't think twice about bursting inside. Except inside was actually down and Neil found himself suspended in midair for an abnormally long second before crashing into the edge of several stairs. He rolled down, down, down over them until he finally landed at the base.

Funnily, there was no pain.

_Un_ funilly, he realized where he was.

A basement.

Inmediately, his heart went wild as he looked around him in the dim light of a single lightbulb hanging from the low ceiling. No, sometimes light wasn't better than dark because this light was letting him see that this was _his_ basement, _the_ basement and right now Neil would give anything to go back to the darkness from above.

_Darkness is better. It's better. Darkness is better._

"What is it, Monkey?"

Neil gasped and looked up from where he'd forced his eyes on the floor, not wanting to see the walls covered in blood. Andrew was there, in all his improbable and impassive glory, staring down at him as if he was one of his basketball kids. Neil was speechless.

"Hello? Monkey? You in there?" the blond knocked on Neil's head like a door and he was so startled by how real the contact felt that he swated the hand away and found the courage to stand.

Now he and Andrew were eye level, mostly, and Neil was about to ask him how on earth had he found his way to this particular basement when Andrew beat him to it and pulled his chin up in a self-satisfied gesture.

"I found her"

Neil's eyes widened. "What?"

"Your mother. I found her"

"Where?" he asked breathless. Finally! All that searching and all that longing had come to an end because Andrew had kept his promise and he'd found his mother. But where? Where? Where!?

"She's Jane Doe number 38" the blond replied and Neil's blood ran as cold as ice.

"Wh-what?"

"She's dead, Monkey. Died a long time ago. He killed her. You know this"

Neil shook his head and stepped back until he rammed the hill of his foot against the stairs.

"You're lying"

"I wouldn't lie to a liar"

Neil shook his head again, more to clear the cobwebs of his mind than to deny Andrew's statement. "Who would've killed her? When would he have—?"

Andrew smirked. "You know who"

_No. No. No. No._

But then Andrew's smirk turned into a shocked grimace as he faltered half a step forward. His brow furrowed in confusion... or pain.

"Andrew?"

When the blond tried to talk, blood spurted out of his mouth. Neil gasped and rushed forward as Andrew's legs faltered and he fell on his knees in front of him. Neil got a glimpse of his back. There was a knife embedded to the hilt in the middle of it and as Andrew fell the rest of the way down, Neil heard the agonizing sound of his struggling to breathe.

The struggle didn't last long though and Andrew's eyes lost their mischievous shine until he was merely a puddle of blood on the ground.

Unable to move, Neil stared, and stared and stared and stared at Andrew's prone figure as he tried to process the fact he'd just been talking to him before he got impaled. Killed. Murdered.

There was nothing he could do.

Neil looked up and ahead, searching for whoever had thrown that knife. It could've been anyone and it could only have been him. Whoever it had been though, Andrew was dead.

And then a shift. A slight shudder of the blooded pale skin before Andrew, impossibly, began to move again. Or rather, Andrew's muscles were moving beneath his skin and his skin was shuddering because it was shifting. It was turning black.

Like a zombie on strings, Andrew's limbs carried him up until he was on his feet again but his eyes, instead of hazel and dead, were sickly yellow and alive. Feathers began to grow and Neil wanted to throw up.

_Awake_.

Andrew was turning into a Raven.

As more feathers grew out of his skin, Andrew extended his hands towards Neil, talons growing long and sharp towards him. When the transformation ended, Andrew was no longer Andrew but an exact replica of Riko and Lieutenant Mureau and General Muldani all down to the murderous glint of his eyes.

When the thing in front of him let out an inhuman cry, Neil couldn't take it any longer.

He ran.

He turned on his hills and ran up the stairs not even looking back to see if the Raven was following. He could hear it anyway, screaming for blood, screaming for him.

_Awake!_

Neil reached the door and yanked frantically until it gave but his heart stopped and his breath hitched and on the other side of the door, his father greeted him with a cruel smile and the chilling light of his icy blue eyes.

"Junior" he said and Neil screamed.

_AWAKE!_

* * *

Neil woke up with a choked gasp and kicked his legs out on a reflex before sitting bolt upright and squirming back until the headrest dug sharply into his back. Then he hugged his knees close and breathed heavily into them. He was sweating and he was shaking.

_Awake_. The Red Fox thought through him in an effort to calm his fried nerves, but Neil could only clutch the hair at the top of his head and continue to breathe irregularly between his bent knees.

"Where were you? Where the fuck were you? Where _the fuck_ were you?" he muttered over and over again because the Fox had left him. It had left him alone in the dark with his father and the basement and a Raven and an Andrew-Raven and _where the fuck were you?_

_Awake._

Neil remained hunched like that until a soft red glow penetrated through his tightly closed lids. He opened his eyes and forced himself to uncurl his stiff body. The glow was coming from him.

_Awake._

Neil blinked a few times and stretched his legs forward, hugging his torso instead. The aura of the Red Fox was surrounding him, faint but visible and warm, definitely warm, which made him shiver one last time at the realization before his body finally unwound.

_Awake_.

"I'm awake" Neil repeated and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he realized it was the Fox who had ripped him away from the nightmare. "I'm awake now. Thank you"

Red hummed in his chest and Neil let out a heavy sigh. If it weren't for the Fox, Neil would have had to face his father that night. It didn't matter if it was only a nightmare, facing his father in any form was just something he was never ready to do.

He looked out the window and saw the faintest hint of light blue coloring the sky. At least he hadn't woken in the middle of the night and seeing as the sun was about to come out, Neil didn't see the point of going back to sleep.

_Awake._

"Yes, I'm awake"

He rubbed his chest soothingly until the red aura faded and he felt in control of his breathing again.

It was Sunday so he didn't have to get ready for work. He had a sparring session with Renee but that was still hours away. Matt and Seth had invited him to a picnic lunch with the girls right after that. He and Andrew hadn't planned anything for today involving the search for his mother, so there was really nothing for him to do at the butt crack of dawn.

So, naturally, he went out on a run. Down the hill towards the beach and then right back up through the longer route, avoiding the central park of Palmetto. The hood of his sweater was up but he didn't fasten it around his face.

_I found her. She's Jane Doe number 38. She's dead Monkey. You know this._

_Damn it_ , he thought as he put one foot in front of the other and increased his rhythm the more he ran. What had Andrew been even doing in his dream? The blond had already planted the seed of doubt in his mind the other night at the command centre, so he didn't really need his impassive self showing up in his dreams to remind him of the very real possibility of his mother being dead.

And where did his brain got off mixing Ravens with Andrew, his mother _and_ his father? The nightmare had been simply terrifying but the worst part was that Neil knew there was more in his mind where that came from. It had been weeks since his brain had played tricks on him at night and he suspected the Red Fox had a lot to do with keeping the nightmares at bay, but he guessed even the Fox couldn't keep them away all the time.

As he ran, Neil thought about everything he'd acomplished since joining the Foxhole Force and everything he had not. He and Andrew had only gone out once together to ask around in hospitals and clinics, asking if anyone remembered ever seeing a woman that fitted his mother's description, but they hadn't been successful. It was a tough job, since Neil could only give so many details and Andrew had never even seen her. His mother could be wearing any hair color or length, she could be wearing eyecontacts that hid the true color of her eyes. How was he supposed to describe someone like that?

_Jane Doe number 38._

Neil heaved a sigh and poured himself into his run. He didn't want to think about how improbable it was for him to find his mother, dead or alive, and he would only be fooling himself if he didn't recognize he was starting to lose hope. The more time he spent in Palmetto, the more time he spent at the Court, he realized there was so much he had missed about life by living on the run. Would finding his mother lead to the rest of his life on the run again? Would _not_ finding her do the same?

But Neil still had a year to think about it, so he merely kept running for fun, not necessity, until the sun was fully above the horizon and he was back at the Foxhole Court.

It was close to 8:00 a.m. when Neil turned left at the metal doors to walk through the cafeteria and the kitchen up to the Tower but reeled to a stop when he saw Andrew sitting at one of the staff tables. The blond raised an eyebrow at him and Neil couldn't help but be assaulted by the image of a dead Andrew slowly transforming into a Raven right in front of him.

_Awake_.

But his Fox reminded him that this was not a dream and that real-Andrew wouldn't suddenly grow talons and chase him towards his father. So Neil drew in a breath and walked closer to the table.

"If you get yourself killed running out there alone, our deal is off" the blond pushed an unopened bottle of water his way which Neil took as an invitation to join him and sit down at the table.

The youth centre was eerily silent and the lack of children made the cafeteria look bigger than it was, so Neil kept his voice low to not disturb the rare peace of the moment.

"How did you know I went out?" Andrew took a bite of the ice cream carton he was craddling in his hands and pointed upwards with the spoon afterwards. Neil lifted a skeptical brow. "Do you ever sleep?"

Another bite of ice cream. "Do you?"

He considered the question fair enough and opened the water bottle to drain half of its content in three long gulps. For the briefest of seconds, Neil remembered the time Andrew had drugged him much the same way, but quickly discarded the memory. The blond hadn't given him a reason not to trust him ever since.

"What do you do so much on the roof anyway?"

Andrew worked his way slowly through another spoonful of ice cream. How anyone could eat the cold dessert so early in the morning, Neil didn't know. The ice cream he was having for breakfast was salted caramel, not the plain vanilla flavor the youth centre sometimes served as dessert at lunch, so he figured Andrew must have brought the treat down from his own freezer. "Are you asking or are you _asking_?" the blond replied.

Neil shrugged. "I'm just asking. You can not answer if you don't want to"

Andrew never took his eyes off him as he licked the spoon clean before dipping it into the carton again. "Smoke. Kevin and Aaron bitch too much when I smoke inside"

"That's... considerate of you"

"It saves me the bitching"

Neil hummed and drank another quarter of his bottle. The weather in Palmetto was starting to announce the arrival of summer, so even running at first hour left him drenched in sweat and thirsty.

In the silence that followed, Neil couldn't help himself from asking. "Do you really think she might be dead?" and then he added, "This time I'm actually asking"

"I don't think anything. It's just a possibility. Why don't you think she is?" it took Neil a moment to gather that Andrew was taking his turn with the question and he fought to answer the truth.

"I... I don't know. I guess I just don't want her to be"

This time it was Andrew who acknowledged his statement with a simple hum as he continued to eat from the carton. Neil found himself transfixed by the swirling motion of the spoon as Andrew played with the ice cream.

"Can I ask you something?" Neil spurted after a while and Andrew stared at him as if saying _what exactly do you think we've been doing?_ "Right. Why do you call the kids Monkeys?"

It was something he'd been curious about from the start though he'd never brought himself to ask. Remembering his dream though, he couldn't really let the opportunity go by.

Andrew thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "It came up"

"And the numbers? What, you were too lazy to learn their names?"

The blond left the spoon inside the ice cream carton and regarded him with a bored expression. "Bethany Johnson, Alex Young, Trent McGregor, Andrea González, Jennifer Monroe, Leyla Smith, Jacob Grant, Josh Taylor, Doyle Davis..."

"Oh, come on, you could be making those up"

"I wouldn't lie to you"

Neil jerked back at the words. They were so similar to what dream-Andrew had said to him that it was impossible not to stare. _I wouldn't lie to a liar._ It was almost scary how accurate his dream version of Andrew had been.

If the blond was surprised by his reaction, he didn't show it but he did stare at Neil long enough to make him uncomfortable.

"Umm... well... okay" he said and wasn't sure how to bring the conversation back to more comfortable ground. He avoided Andrew's gaze by self-consciously finishing his water and he wiped away a few drops running down his chin. When he found that Andrew's eyes were still eerily stuck on him, Neil cleared his throat and decided to venture. "I was wondering... would you spar with me?"

Andrew arched an eyebrow. "Now?"

"No. I mean, regularly, like with Renee. I'd like to practice my fighting unmorphed and I think going up against someone other than her might be helpful"

"What would I get in return?"

"A truth?"

"You already give me those"

"Fine. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything"

"Come on, there must be something that you want"

"If I wanted anything it would be not having to deal with you or anyone else. Some peace and quiet would be appreciated"

"Oh" Neil was taken aback for a second by Andrew’s cutting words, which he said with a perfectly composed expression."Alright. You spar with me once a week and I promise I won't bother you any other day, except for when we're looking for my mom"

Andrew regarded him intently, considering his offer before replying with a straight face. "Not interested"

"What? Why? I just told you I'd—" but he went quiet when a person emerged from the kitchen, rounding the corner of the counter and coming to a stop when he saw the two of them at the table. It was Seth, eyes still red from sleep. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

"Hey" Neil said and the other boy nodded before continuing on his way. Andrew ignored him completely.

Taking advantage of Neil's distraction, Andrew put the lid back on the ice cream and got up from the table. Neil went to follow but stopped at Andrew's next words. "Find someone else who cares to help you"

Well... damn. As the blond walked into the kitchen, Neil was reminded of how unpredictable Andrew actually was and how unpenetrable his armor was. Whatever ground he thought he'd gained with his co-worker these past few weeks was quickly trampled by the dismissal and he made sure to write a mental note to remember that Andrew didn't really like him, that he merely put up with him for convenient reasons. Their relationship didn't go beyond Neil needing help to find his mother and Andrew needing him to act as the Red Ranger for the team.

It was nothing more than that.

Recapping the now empty water bottle, Neil threw the plastic in the bin and went up to the Tower and back to his apartment. He would wait until after the sparring lesson with Renee to shower, so he just fixed himself some breakfast and settled in for the wait.

* * *

The Red Fox was happy.

Neil could feel it in the way it made his heart beat with excitement and anticipation. He guessed this was what kids felt like waking up on their birthdays or going to an amusement park for the first time. At least the kids that could enjoy those sorts of privileges without the heavy hand of trauma playing a role in their lives. But what would Neil know? It's not like he'd ever been excited about anything other than staying alive after a close encounter with death at the hands of his father's people. Was the Red Fox excited for him? Because he was going to a picnic?

As they rode Matt's truck to an outdoors camping site, Neil wouldn't describe himself as excited but cautiously intrigued. It was the first time he participated in such a social outing and even though anxiety was waiting just around the corner of his mind, the Fox's excitement trampled it with earnest. It had taken a full day of Matt's whining and then some of Seth's retorts to finally convince him to come, but here he was, about to eat salmon deli sandwiches and fruit salads. Yes, Renee had asked him what his favorite food was. She had made sure he felt included even in the tiniest of details.

When they reached the site and got out of the truck, the Red Fox went wild inside him. Neil was sure if the Fox was actually physically there, it would be running in circles around them as they settled a blanket over the grass and arranged their feast on top of it.

Were picnics supposed to be that exciting?

"Put this on the corner, Neil" Dan instructed before everyone took their places. She handed him the igloo cava and then put a backpack over another corner herself. "So the wind doesn't pull it up"

There wasn't really that much wind, but they set the weights by the edges of the blanket anyway. In fact, the day had turned out to be pleasantly warm even if Neil felt a bit overheated with a sweater and the hoodie up. He'd taken to wearing a hood over his hair every time he went outside because he still wasn't comfortable walking around displaying his trademark auburn hair but as summer approached, he wasn't sure he could continue to pull it off. If anything, he'd bring more attention to himself by being the only human being crazy enough to wear a hoodie in a 75 degree weather. For now though, it was safe to do so.

As far as Neil was concerned, the picnic was going great, given that he didn't have anything to compare it too, but he counted it as a win when he didn't have to participate in conversation much or when he only had to nod here and there to let everyone know he was paying attention. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to them, but more like he didn't think he had anything important to say. They were talking about Matt and Dan's last date, about Renee wanting to become a social worker like Coach. They talked about the kids at the youth centre and the upcoming fundraising.

"Everyone loves cake, so we're thinking about making a bake sale at the front gate while we advertise our mission. What do you think?"

They talked about Seth's birthday next month and Dan's friends coming for a visit soon. Apparently they were close enough they were like sisters.

So no, unless they wanted to talk about how last night he'd dreamed about his father murdering Andrew only for him to turn into a Raven, Neil didn't really have anything to say.

That was, until Allison called him out. "Neil, what were you doing with the monster this morning?"

The change of conversation topic was so sudden that for a moment, the only image that came to mind when the word monster was uttered was the image of the giant thing they'd battled on Friday. It took Allison actually saying his name for Neil to follow.

He also figured it was Seth who told her about that morning. "Umm... talking?"

"You shouldn't spend so much time with them"

"Allison..." it was Renee who warned her, but Allison brushed her off.

"What? It's true. They'll just corrupt him"

Neil frowned at the choice of words. Corrupt him? "Why? They're part of the team, aren't they?"

"Because they're selfish and rude and heartless" Allison stated matter of factly.

Matt was the next to intervene. "Nicky is none of those things" he said apologetically, as is afraid to show he thought differently than her.

"But he'll always take his cousins' side"

"And what side is that exactly?" asked Renee. Out of everyone, she looked the most crossed with the conversation which was odd, since Neil had never seen her being anything other than pleasantly calm and collected. Her tone of voice threw Allison off a bit.

"They... they don't talk to us. I mean, just the bare minimum. Aaron is rude, Kevin is fucking selfish and Andrew's just heartless"

Neil shrugged and popped a piece of pineapple into his mouth. "They talk to me"

The truth was, out of everyone, he could count on one hand the number of times he'd talked to Aaron. He and Kevin had spoken from time to time about Exy and the Foxhole Force but Neil wouldn’t say they held regular conversations. Nicky pretty much talked to anyone everywhere whether that someone talked back or not, and Andrew had his moments. But the thing is, it wasn't like Neil was a very talkative person either. Hadn't they noticed him say less than three sentences during the whole picnic?

Allison went on. "And I don't even know how you stand it. Talking to Andrew? After what he did to you?"

"I told you we worked that out"

"And don't tell me the others didn't know about it. He did it to Kevin too, after all"

This surprised Neil. "What?"

"You don't know? After Kevin got away from the Ravens, Andrew practically kidnapped him and interrogated him. Fucking heartless, I tell you. Right after escaping the Nest? I don't know what Coach sees in him" he shouldn't, in fact, be that shocked about the revelation. Andrew had drugged him trying to find out his secrets to figure out if he was a Raven spy. Why wouldn't he suspect Kevin the moment he showed up? Having lived at the Nest for so long... But did everyone else know he'd done it to keep his family safe? And Andrew had roped him into a one year deal so he wouldn't unbalance the team by upping up and leaving them without a Red Ranger. Neil could agree that Andrew was... something. Not heartless but something. By now, the blond had made it clear he wasn't interested in idle chat, that he didn't care about spending time with any of them and that he preferred to be alone and unbothered. But he also treated the kids at the youth centre with cold respect and distant care. He often spoke in a monotone and detached voice but it was when talking about protecting his family that he spoke fervently or, at least, as fervently as he could. No, Neil wasn't sure what Andrew was, but he wouldn't say he was heartless.

If he was being completely honest with himself, Andrew's attitude towards practically everything was contradictory at worst and puzzling at best. Just that morning, the blond had seemed invested enough to kind of have breakfast with him, if a carton of ice cream and a bottle of water could count as breakfast, but then he'd gone and made it clear he wasn't interested in helping Neil beyond the deal they'd made. If anything, Andrew was as much of a puzzle as he claimed Neil was.

However it might be though, it was not his place to praise someone who made a point to let others think he was exactly like they thought he was. So he settled with a simple shrug and then commented after a second. “I don't think they're that bad”

Allison, the strong willed woman that she was, couldn't leave it at that. "Quit defending them!"

"I'm not. I'm just calling it like I see it"

"See? They're already turning you into one of them"

"What, selfish, rude and heartless?" he asked right back, a glint of his own confrontational yet dormant streak showing up.

"Just saying" Allison replied.

And then Renee stepped into the conversation again, which was a relief because the picnic had begun to turn into a tennis match between Neil and Allison and he wasn't comfortable with the attention. "Actually, I think it's great"

"That Neil is turning selfish, rude and heartless?"

"Enough with the selfish, rude and heartless!" Dan burst out next to Seth. Not for the first time, Neil got the feeling the only one set strongly enough against Andrew's crew was Allison and that everyone else was too merely by association. They had all talked ill about the others at some point, but no one seemed as deadset on it as Allison. "I agree with Renee. Maybe it's a good thing Neil gets along with us _and_ with them"

"How do you reckon?" Seth asked. He was usually Allison's number one rooter, but he'd kept a very silent approach on this matter.

"Neil gets along with you guys," she started, signaling between Seth, Allison and Matt. "And he gets along with Kevin. As the Red Ranger, maybe he could help bring the two halves of the team together"

Everyone stared at her until she sighed and explained.

"I mean... you saw what happened the other day. You guys wouldn't stop fighting and things got out of hand. I'm not saying it was one person's fault, but it really shouldn't happen again. We all should act more as a team and Neil could be our one way ticket to mend the bridge. Maybe spending more time with them, all of them, will help"

Allison balked. "Are you serious? It's not like we're gonna invite them to a picnic with us and they're gonna say yes. Andrew and Kevin? On a picnic?"

Dan lifted a shoulder. "Maybe if Neil asked them?"

They all looked expectantly at him as if he had any true inside knowledge of whether Andrew and the others would say yes or no to hanging out with them. Did Dan really expect Neil to persuade them after only a month of knowing them? If Renee with her samaritan personality and Matt with his easygoing self hadn't been able to do it in years, why would Neil be any different?

_Trust._

Neil frowned at the Fox’s intervention. First of all, because he hadn’t expected Red to be centered enough to pay attention to the conversation in the midst of all his excitement and, second of all, because… trust?

By definition, by mere principle, Neil didn’t trust anyone. Certainly not Kevin or Nicky or Aaron. He didn’t really trust the people he was having a picnic with right now. He liked them, he could at least admit he liked his co-workers and team members enough to let himself be a part of their mission, their cause. But he couldn’t really trust them with his secrets, could he? With his truths. None of them knew who he really was, none of them knew why he was there. If Neil didn’t trust them, then how could any of them trust _him_?

_Truth._

But he’d told Andrew the truth, hadn’t he? Well, part of the truth. But enough of the truth anyway for it to beone of his truths. Did Neil really trust Andrew? Didn’t he?

“I don’t think that’s enough” he muttered. The words were meant for the Fox, but he didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until Matt responded.

“What?”

“Umm… I don’t know if me asking would be enough”

“You could try, right?” Dan asked, hopeful. “Actually, let’s do something next weekend. We can go bowling or have dinner somewhere. Will you ask them?”

Neil looked around him and shrugged. It wouldn’t kill him to try. “Sure”

“Now, wait a minu—“ Allison had started to reply but she was interrupted by the collective sound of their communicators coming alive.

“Oh damn” Seth let out. He reached the device first and put it on speaker.

“ _Rangers?_ ”

“What is it Coach?”

“ _It’s Lieutenant Mureau. He’s in town. Kevin’s already on his way_ ”

“Where?”

“ _Palmetto High School. The target is young_ ”

Coach hadn’t even finished talking yet when the six of them got into motion and rushed to their feet. Matt nodded at Neil, Allison and Seth. “We’re on our way”

“We’ll head back to the centre” Renee offered, signaling between her and Dan and shooing the rest of them off. “Find somewhere to morph and we’ll deal with this”

“ _Hurry, Rangers. I don’t want Kevin alone with Mureau for too long”_

Allison squared her shoulders and nodded. “Let’s go”

* * *

After finding a secluded spot on their way to the local school to morph, the Power Rangers arrived at the scene to be met with chaos and noise.

"It's not a school day" Seth began, "Why is there so many people?"

Teenagers were running out of the school building, some of them beckoning the Rangers inside once they saw them and some of them way too focused on getting away to even notice them.

"There was a science fair" Coach replied from the centre.

"Let's find Kevin" Neil stated and they ran the rest of the way towards the building. Their blue teammate shouldn’t have been at the scene in the first place. Aaron had been clear enough when he’d wrapped his ribs less than a week ago. Kevin needed rest and time to heal. He had even been excused from coaching exy practice for a couple of days after his injury, not that the taller man had followed that particular recommendation, but it was one thing to direct practice from the sidelines and another one to be engaging Ravens by himself. Aaron was probably fuming back at the centre.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint where the epicenter of the chaos was, they just had to follow the sound of clashing weapons and the screams of terrified youth. The Ravens were at the gym.

"Geez!" Matt exclaimed once they got the full picture beyond the gym doors, because not only was Lieutenant Mureau in there but another three Ravens as well.

The situation was like this: Kevin was engaged in battle with Lt. Mureau, the Raven sword and the blue staff clashing every other second above their heads. Lt. Mureau wasn't fully transformed into a Raven, but his speed and strength were still a force to be reckoned with.

The other Ravens were scattered around the gym, wreaking havoc through the tables and scientific displays. A table at one of the corners had caught fire and the flames were rapidly spreading to the next one.

There were kids everywhere and some adults trying and failing to direct everyone towards the exit, but the Ravens made it impossible for them to go far as they constantly slashed at them and pushed them to the ground.

Neil felt the Red Fox pulsing with anger and he let the emotion fuel his actions. He summoned his weapon, ready to go into battle.

"Red Staff!" he blocked a Raven's hand as it was coming down to slash at a teacher cowering near the door threshold and sent him flying backwards with a powerful swing from the staff.

"Which one's the target?" Allison asked and Kevin's voice reached them from the other side of the gym. Urgent, winded and strained.

"Bleachers! Under the bleachers!"

True enough, there was a Raven trying to fit its enormous feathery form under the bleachers where the target was apparently hiding.

"Seth?" Neil called, and the Yellow Ranger dashed towards them.

"On it!"

"Seth," Coach spoke inside their helmets, directing the Rangers into the battle. "Protect the target and get out of there. The rest of you, contain the situation. There's way too much collateral"

Everyone got their hands on deck.

As Kevin kept fighting Mureau and Seth went to take care of the target, the other Rangers went after a different Raven each, everyone summoning their weapons and engaging in fierce battle.

Neil followed the first Raven he'd attacked as the dark feathered creature launched itself at a group of kids hiding under a table. He slashed at the Raven with the tip of his staff and then used it like a baseball bat to smash against its side. The thing buckled but didn't go down completely, though it did buy the kids enough time to get away while Neil distracted the Raven.

"Go, go, go!" he urged them and engaged the Raven once more.

This Raven wasn't particularly strong but it was fast and it made Neil chase him all over the place as it weaved in and out of the others' own battles. Neil caught a talon slash on the shoulder not really meant for him merely because he was rushing past Matt while on his way to chase the Raven.

When he lost sight of it for a moment, Neil whirled in every direction to find it, getting a glimpse of how things were going for everyone.

They weren't great.

Kevin was too silent. He was fighting Mureau with everything he had without their usual back and forth bickering about Kevin leaving the Rangers to go back to the Nest and Lieutenant Mureau leaving the Ravens to break himself free of their reign. Silence meant concentration which meant neither of them were holding back and Kevin was struggling to contain the perfect Raven on his own.

Allison was standing between a Raven and a couple of teens, acting as a shield for them by blocking the thing's talons. Her weapon lay scattered several feet to the side.

Matt was, for all intents and purposes, boxing against the Raven with his Kit Gloves and Seth was nowhere in sight. He was probably already gone, hopefully with the target.

The Red Fox sent a not so subtle shock of emotion his way for him to focus back on his mark, and Neil glanced beyond Kevin and Mureau to spot his own Raven next to the burning tables. Unfortunately, that was also next to an elderly professor that was trying to crawl away from said fire.

He unclasped his weapon, turning the red staff into two smaller but equally sharp weapons and dashed forward. He threw one of the staffs tip-first at the Raven to distract it while he reached him and then slashed at its face with the other. A well placed kick later and the Raven went stumbling to the ground.

Neil hurried to help the older man from the ground, glad that once he was able to get his feet under him, the man could walk away on his own. But the exit was on the other side of the gym and too much was happening in the middle for it to be a safe walk out of danger, so Neil directed the man under the bleachers because they'd proven to be a good hiding spot against the tall frame of the Ravens.

Once he was sure the man would be relativately alright, Neil turned around and that's when a dark figure tackled him painfully to the ground. He rolled and rolled again in a mixture of flying limbs until it all came a stop and Neil found himself pinned to the ground by none other than the Black Ranger.

"You're here" Neil said breathless but a crash over them brought his attention to a burning table that had just sailed over them and crashed against the wall where he'd been standing two seconds ago. The Black Ranger had tackled him out of the way.

When he glanced back again, the other Ranger was still looking at him but in his typical silent manner, he got graciously back on his feet and went after the Raven without a single word.

Neil didn't even have time to thank him.

He took advantage of the Black Ranger's presence to get his breath and his weapons back before charging into battle once again. He spared only half a minute to admire the way the Black Ranger engaged mercilessly against the Raven before diving towards Allison and helping her get her whip back from the floor.

After that, he went to help Kevin.

Just like he'd suspected, the Blue Ranger and the perfect soldier were fighting viciously, not giving eachother time to breathe, much less talk, and Neil figured it was all Mureau's doing, because he still had to see Kevin deny the Raven the opportunity for redemption. It was also weird, though, that Mureau wasn't goading Kevin on. Between this Raven and General Muldani, it was her the most talkative out of the two, but Lieutenant Mureau was also known for his jabbing words and remarks, specially when it came to Kevin.

It was just weird and Neil didn't know why he noticed the absence of words so much but he joined his blue teammate in the silent fight anyway.

"You good?" he asked Kevin once he joined him and the taller Ranger nodded once.

"Fine"

The fight against Mureau was as brutal as ever and soon enough, Neil had to lose his surroundings awareness in order to focus solely on not getting caught by the black sword. He remembered how painful the sting was when it happened, so he was extra careful to keep the weapon away from his body. That didn't stop him, though, from hearing the shrill sound of the fire alarm once the flames from the one corner of the gym were high enough to be detected and then the sprinklers turning to life. Water rained down on them and the constant blaring of the alarm only added to the chaotic scene they were currently in. It was annoying and distracting but they had to power through and end this battle soon. There were still too many people inside the gym.

Sparing a thought to the older man he'd hidden under the bleachers and the fire spreading towards him earned him a clip of the sword on his leg, and Neil cursed while jumping out of the way, Kevin blocking the next strike and giving the painful shock enough time to subside. But between the noise of the alarm, the terrified screams around them, the distracting pour of the sprinklers and the pain from his leg, Neil was starting to feel overwhelmed.

Worst of all though, was that despite having the Black Ranger on their side, they weren't gaining much ground and unless their yellow teammate came back soon, they wouldn't be able to use either the Foxes Blast or the Cannon to up their game against the Ravens.

Neil wondered if their weapons would ever combine with the Black Ranger's or if the Ranger would ever even agree to do so.

" _Shit!"_ the curse got his attention more than anything else did because it carried a tinge of fear he wasn't used to hearing in the Yellow Ranger's voice.

"Seth?" Allison asked. If Neil had noticed the difference in the voice inside their helmets, then Allison was bound to have done so as well.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

"Oh my God" Dan whispered in shock way back from the centre. "Oh my God, guys!"

"What is it?" Matt asked her, but it was Nicky's urgent voice that reached them instead of Dan's.

"It's Riko!"

* * *

"Guys!" it was Dan again. "You have to help Seth now!"

As if he could hear what was going on inside the Ranger's helmets, Lieutenant Mureau regarded Neil and Kevin with a satisfied sneer on his face.

"You have to go, _now!_ "

"We can't... leave these people unprotected" Matt grunted while in the middle of his fight.

"But it's Riko!" Nicky repeated from the centre.

"Something the matter, Rangers?" asked Mureau, pausing his constant attacks for the first time during the fight. But before any of them could answer, Seth's voice reached them through their opened communication channel.

It was just clear after a second that his urgent words weren't meant for them. "Run, okay? No matter what happens, don't stop running. I'll distract him. Just run!"

"Jean, what are you planning?" Kevin asked and the Lieutenant smiled even wider.

"You won't stand a chance now"

Before any of them could move, the Black Ranger appeared by Neil's side, black shield held in one hand and his blaster in the other. He regarded Neil cooly and jerked his head in the general direction of the door, his meaning clear. _Go_.

It took a moment, but the implications of that gesture hit Neil like a freight train. The Black Ranger was in on their communications!? For how long? Since ever? But a sudden painful grunt brought Neil's attention back to the matter at hand. If the Black Ranger could deal with Mureau, then Neil and Kevin could go help Seth.

Neil nodded and when the other Ranger charged, without warning or preamble, Neil tugged on Kevin's arm and directed him towards the exit. "Stay on the Ravens!" he told everyone else. "We've got Seth"

"Hurry!" Allison prompted as she continued to battle her Raven.

Since they were heading out anyway, Neil took the opportunity to tug a group of teenagers along, hurrying them out from under a table and running towards the door. But as soon as they reached it, a figure dropped in front of them, blocking their path and forcing them to retreat a couple of steps.

Neil cursed and shoved the kids the way they had come. "Back, get back!"

The kids scattered and both Neil and Kevin raised their staffs.

" _Thea_ " the Blue Ranger spat with as much contempt as he'd ever shown when talking to the General. "What the hell are you doing?"

The newly arrived Raven grinned wildly as her frame started to grow and feathers spurted from her skin. Her black sword shown brightly, reflecting the flames that did nothing but grow on the other side of the gym.

"You're not going anywhere" she spat once fully transformed and attacked.

Kevin and Neil could barely keep up.

The General went at them viciously, with everything she had, forcing them back into the gym but keeping them isolated enough from the rest, not that anyone else could have done anything to help them since they were all struggling with their own opponents.

Meanwhile, the sound of Seth's battle continued to weight down on everyone.

"Coach, they're boxing us in!" Kevin informed the people at the centre, blocking Muldani's sword in mid air but not fast enough to avoid the slash of her talons. The Blue Ranger let out a pained hiss and dropped to the side, giving Neil a chance to take over and engage Muldani himself. Every time he went down, Kevin took longer to get back up and Neil didn't miss the supporting hand he kept on his middle. His ribs must have been on fire. But still, the Blue Ranger kept charging forward, just as everyone else did because they could all feel the urgency of the situation breathing down their necks along with the sounds of Seth's heaving breaths.

The Red Fox was specially worried.

_Hurry._

_Fast._

_Hurry!_

Neil grunted when Muldani kicked him so hard he flew into the nearest wall. _I know_ , he told his Fox and jumped into battle again.

But how would they break away from this fight if there were so many Ravens to deal with? General Muldani was guarding the door with delighted and vicious glee, the Black Ranger was busy with Mureau, Matt and Allison were trying to keep everyone safe while dealing with the other Ravens and the fire did nothing but grow.

Neil was starting to feel desperate, almost like in his nightmare when he couldn't see a way out of the darkness. He knew that if the Rangers could find their way back to each other, then they could turn the tables in their favor. They could present a united front against the Ravens. But they'd fought Muldani and Mureau enough times already for them to have figured out that as long as they kept the Rangers separate, they held the upper hand.

Was that Riko's plan? It wasn't often the Raven King came out of the Nest to deal with them, if ever, and for him to come down here and engage one of the Rangers on his own...

_Hurry_.

And Neil hurried.

He hurried to keep Muldani's attention on himself to give Kevin some room to breathe. He would only worsen his injury if he kept up this pace. But he was also trying to give his blue teammate an opening. If Neil could handle Muldani on his own, then Kevin could finally go help Seth. If they could only reach the door.

Things were easier said than done, though.

As Neil fought Muldani, he caught a glimpse of the Black Ranger shooting his blaster at Mureau and he got an idea. But would it work?

_Try_ , his Fox beckoned. If Neil had had a second to spare, he would have wondered at how clearly Red was communicating with him that day, but since Neil did not, in fact, have a second, he merely nodded and changed tactics.

Glancing beyond General Muldani at the gym entrance, Neil threw both halves of the red staff at her much like he'd done before and took advantage of her distraction to draw his blaster, jump and perform a front flip over her to shoot her from the air. The General bellowed and went down. Neil could only hope she stayed down.

He was sure the stunt hadn’t looked half as good as it had when the Black Ranger did it at the forest, but when he landed on the other side of Muldani, nothing standing between him and the door anymore, and sprinted for the exit, he couldn’t help but grin in satisfaction.

"Seth! I'm on my wa—"

"HA!"

_Fuck_.

That was all Neil had time for. The moment the lightning reached his back, pain and electricity rendered him useless and he went down unceremuniously. Red whined inside his chest as he also writhered in pain, painful aftershocks making them both twitch on the floor.

"...eil! Neil!" his ears were buzzing but he shook his head enough to recognize Dan's voice in his ear. "Are you okay?"

Neil grunted. "Mmhh"

Since when could the perfect Ravens summon their lightning strike indoors? General Muldani had recovered from Neil's attack way too quickly and though Kevin was now between them, he was in no shape himself to stop her from coming after Neil again.

In the mean time, Neil struggled to get back on his feet.

A lot of people were speaking on top of each other and Neil's mind was fried enough as it was from the lightning strike to be able to follow all the voices, but he did catch Seth's strained one from wherever he was fighting Riko. "Guys, any... any day now!"

Neil glanced around in desperation.

They were _all_ busy. The Ravens weren't giving them ground, there was still too many people in danger, the flames from the fire reached a quarter of the gym now and Neil could barely move yet. The Power Rangers were scattared and as he watched on, Neil watched them all fall and fall again one by one as the Ravens intensified their attacks. And the Rangers fought. They fought to get back on their feet and protect the people around them and counteract the Ravens' attacks but nothing was ever enough to give them the chance to break away and help Seth.

Neil panted into his helmet as he tried to come up with a solution. When he spotted his discarded staff on the floor, he slowly crawled his way to it, ensembling it back together and using it as support to stand up. Again, they needed to get past Muldani to get to the door so once he was back on his feet and after taking a settling breath, he charged towards her. With the amount of energy the lightning strike had taken from him and Kevin's injury, they were both fighting at half capacity now which meant both their weapons were needed to stop Muldani's sword from coming down on their heads. The sword and the staffs sparkled and Neil's arms strained trying to push the Raven sword away. Neil and Kevin grunted with effort. General Muldani laughed with delight.

And then, suddenly, the sword was gone.

Neil and Kevin stumbled when the force pushing against them was withdrawn and they stared at Muldani in puzzlement as she simply took a step back and fluttered the sword into nonexistence.

Behind them, all sounds of battle had stopped as abruptly as Muldani had and the only thing they could hear was their own panting breaths and the crackling of the fire.

"Our King should be about done now" Muldani said, her eyes flashing yellow as she smiled. "Run along now, Rangers, or you'll miss the end of the show"

And right as she signaled every Raven in the gym to drop everything and _just go_ , a gutwrenching scream reached them inside their helmets followed by the horrified cries of their teammates back at the centre.

* * *

The situation was like this: General Muldani slashed her talons between the Red and Blue Ranger as she disappeared through the door, the other Ravens following her out the gym after one last attack against Allison and Matt. Lieutenant Mureau was the last one to go, bringing his sword down into the Black Ranger so hard the Ranger lost his grip on the shield and flew backwards towards the fire. He spared Kevin what Neil would later understand as an apologetic look before vanishing out the door.

No one understood what had happened but they didn't really have time to, because everyone at the centre was urging them to move on.

"What happened?" Allison asked. The Rangers ordered everyone to flee the gym before any more Ravens showed up, though Neil doubted they'd be coming back. "Dan, what happened!?"

"Just go!" Dan's voice was pleading and desperate, both of which Neil had never heard coming from her before. "Just hurry, go help Seth. Hurry!"

The Rangers ran. They didn't even wait for the gym to be fully evacuated before making their way outside.

"Where are they?" Matt asked.

It was Coach who answered. "Three blocks west, at the end of the street"

So the Rangers ran faster.

"Seth! We're coming! Hold on!" Allison yelled.

"Faster, Rangers!"

They were still too far away.

"He's got him! He's about to..."

"Oh my God"

"Hurry!"

"I don't see them!"

"Rangers!"

"Alls—" Seth's voice reached them right before a deafening boom did and an explosion cloud took over the sky one block away from them.

Neil faltered.

Someone gasped next to him. Another someone stumbled and went down to their knees. Neil himself lost his breath on the next step and that's when he felt his Fox wailing.

Silence reigned between them as every Ranger froze in their tracks to stare up at the cloud of smoke rising from behind the row of houses. Time seemed suspended and the only thing Neil was aware of was the beating of his heart hammering all the way up to his throat. That, and the desperate wailing of the Red Fox inside him.

Seconds ticked by and ever so slowly, Neil was the first to come out of his stuppor. But it happened in stages. First, he was aware of his own body again and how heavy it felt just to be standing. Then he turned his head to the side and noticed that the Black Ranger had followed them out and was still with them, suffering silently through their stunning just like every other Ranger was. And then he heard the people back at the centre. Curses and cries. Insults and sniffles. Neil's stomach sank.

When he could finally break away from the spell, he staggered forward, his feet shuffling until they could steadily make him walk again and eventually run. He needed to reach the other street. Distantly, he was aware of the other Rangers slowly doing the same and, finally, they got to the end of the street.

" _No_ " Allison broke away from them as soon as she saw Seth's prone figure on the ground.

"Wait!" Kevin ran after her to stand between her and Riko, who was merely a few feet away from Seth. Neil was the next one to follow and as they reached their pink teammate, he and Kevin faced off against the Raven King. But Riko wasn't moving. He was fully transformed into a Raven and he was regarding them all with crazy yellow eyes but he didn't make a move against them.

Allison had reached Seth, the downed Ranger unmoving and unmorphed on the ground. Allison's voice was choked as she muttered. "No, no, nonono. Seth? Wake up. Wake up!"

Seth did not wake up.

The other two Rangers reached them, but there was nothing anyone could do.

"You're gonna pay for this" Kevin spat at Riko, his blue staff raised and poised to attack. The Blue Ranger sounded choked up and angry.

Riko spread his enormous wings, the air whooshing around them as he prepared to take flight. "You chose the wrong team, Kevin, and I'll kill each and every one of you until you realize what a mistake it was to leave the Nest... for _this_ "

Riko spat at Neil's and Kevin's feet before lifting from the ground and flying away into the sky.

When they turned around, Allison was craddling Seth's head in her lap. The target was nowhere in sight and Riko hadn’t taken the teen with him, so Neil could only assume that Seth had bought the target enough time to run away.

"Is he...?" but he didn't really have to finish the question. He had felt it, they had all felt it, and as Neil stood there unable to take a step closer to his teammates, the Red Fox's desperate wailing went louder than ever.

Seth's body was pale and as Allison rocked him with her grieving ministrations, Neil's eyes found the man's wrist. The morpher was still clasped around it but instead of bright yellow, all color had bled out from it. It wasn't even just gray, it was simply colorless the same way Seth was now lifeless.

The power that once ran through it was gone. The spirit of the Blanford Fox... Neil brought a hand to his chest.

_I'm sorry_ , he told his Fox.

_Pain._

_Death._

_Destruction._

The Red Fox was angry. It was weeping.

_I'm so sorry._

As he continued to rub circles into his chest, Kevin and Matt knelt beside Allison. They didn't morph out, none of them did, but without looking at their faces, Neil knew they were striken and maybe even tear stained and dumbfounded. He didn't know what his own face might have looked like at the moment, but he was shocked. And he was shocked that he was shocked. He felt for his Fox more than he felt for himself but he was also rendered speechless after what happened.

Neil didn't feel entittled enough to go kneel by Seth's body, but he stood protectively over his team as they grieved. The Black Ranger also stood several feet to the side and when he noticed Neil's assessing look, he stared right back. They regarded each other silently. There was so much Neil wanted to ask him: _how are you in on our communication channel? Why won't you ever talk to us? Who are you?_

But he asked none of those things and simply remained quiet. The Black Ranger glanced at the rest of the team and sent one last look Neil's way before slowly walking away and disappearing at the end of the street.

Somehow, Neil felt another wave of loss taking residence inside him.

Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. For however long they remained there, nobody said anything as they tried to assimilate that Seth's death had actually happened, that Riko had murdered him and that the Blanford Fox had been destroyed along with him.

The Foxhole Force was incomplete now. Fractured. Shattered. Broken. And Neil could do nothing but wrap his arms around himself as if he could actually hug Red while the Fox mourned the loss of its friend.

"Bring him home, Rangers"

_What home?_ Neil thought, and the Red Fox wept even more.

**_Next episode: Smoke and… mirrors?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS for the episode: canonical death of a character. The end of this episode gets pretty heavy guys so... careful.  
> —————————————————————  
> I am so sorry. This had to happen. It is important for plot reasons. It broke my heart to write the ending scene and I was feeling so much for the foxes... I hope you’re not too upset with me and that you’ll manage to forgive me 😔
> 
> What are your thoughts on the episode? I’d love to know. We have a lot of things going on here... starting with that nightmare and then Andrew’s and Neil’s talk? Yep, a lot to unpack for our boy Neil.
> 
> As always, thanks for sticking with this crazy AU for so long and see you on the next episode!
> 
> Ps: the picture is supposed to be the Black Ranger’s shield. I honestly couldn’t come up with anything else and it still looks different than it actually does in my head, so you’re still free to imagine it any way you like.

**Author's Note:**

> More on [Tumblr!!!](https://luna-moon-26-20.tumblr.com) 🙌🏼 
> 
> You can find more content related to this story (and my other story “This might be a little out of hand) on my new Tumblr account. 
> 
> You can find me under the name: luna-moon-26-20
> 
> I’ll be posting updates, episode previews, whatever art doesn’t make it into the fic itself and more. You can ask any questions you have and I’ll be more than happy to reply 🤓😃


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